Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill Join "Marvel Cosmic Invasion" at SDCC 2025

Marvel Games and Tribute Games brought cosmic energy to San Diego Comic-Con 2025, revealing two new playable characters for their upcoming pixel-art beat 'em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion: Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill. The panel, moderated by Kind of Funny Games host Tim Gettys, united developers, Marvel Games creatives, and voice actors for a high-energy showcase that celebrated 90s nostalgia, deep Marvel lore, and dream casting.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion reimagines the Annihilation comic book event through the lens of a 1990s Saturday morning cartoon, complete with sprite-based visuals and arcade-inspired gameplay. Tribute Games’ Frederic Gemus (Game Director), Jean-François Major (Technical Director), Rémi Lavoie (Producer), and Yannick Belzil (Narrative Designer) joined Marvel Games’ Brian Marquez and Jaki Martinez to share how this vision came together.

“Imagine the Annihilation storyline adapted into a Fox Kids cartoon," Belzil said. “That’s the vibe." The game draws on Tribute’s beat-em-up pedigree, modernizing mechanics while staying true to the retro aesthetic. Full cross-play is promised across platforms, and couch co-op for up to four players allows for chaotic cosmic brawls.

So far, nine characters had been revealed: Captain America, Spider-Man, Venom, Quasar (Phyla-Vell), Nova, Wolverine, Storm, She-Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon. During the SDCC panel, fans were treated to two surprise additions:

Silver Surfer

Voiced by Brian Bloom, who also reprises Captain America, Silver Surfer brings cosmic calm and power to the roster.

“It’s almost like his brain is working so quickly that he’s trying to slow everything down," Bloom said of the performance. “Smooth is fast."

In gameplay, Surfer’s iconic board isn’t just for travel—it becomes a weapon, shield, and combat enhancer. Tribute showed concept art and described how they worked closely with Marvel to integrate the board into his moveset, emphasizing fluidity and grace.

Beta Ray Bill

Voiced by fan-favorite Steve Blum, Beta Ray Bill was a passion pick from the Tribute team.

“He felt like a more cosmic version of Thor," Belzil explained. “And as a character who hasn’t been featured much in games, we had the chance to help define him."

Bill’s hammer, Stormbreaker, functions like a trap in-game—staying on the battlefield to knock down enemies or be recalled mid-combo. According to Tribute, his early builds were so strong they broke the game, prompting them to “buff everyone else just to match him."

In addition to Bloom and Blum, the game’s voice cast includes:

The actors praised the collaborative and character-driven voice sessions. Rotaru, who physically trained to capture She-Hulk’s intensity, said, “I got jacked for this role."

Devall joked about Rocket’s weapon-centric moveset: “He’s not much of a puncher, but give him a big cannon, and boom—there it goes!"

With 15 total playable characters, Marvel Cosmic Invasion features a “Cosmic Swap" mechanic allowing players to tag between two heroes mid-battle. Tribute emphasized that the system encourages experimentation and dynamic play, whether in solo mode or four-player co-op.

The combat layers in flight mechanics, ranged attacks, and unique combos to break away from traditional side-scrolling formulas. “We had to reinvent everything we knew about how to make a beat-em-up," Major noted.

The soundtrack, composed by Tee Lopes, adds to the 90s flair, with different musical themes for each locale, including New York, the Blue Area of the Moon, and the Savage Land.

The panel concluded with a group selfie and a call to action: Wishlist Marvel Cosmic Invasion now on your favorite storefront. “It’s the best way to support these amazing developers," Gettys said. While there isn’t a release date yet, the creatives confirmed it will be released before the end of the year.

Click here for more coverage from SDCC.