Orlando Soccer Players as Marvel Universe Characters

There are many heroes in this world. For Orlando soccer fans the men and women of Orlando City and the Orlando Pride represent a few of those heroes. In honor of Marvel Week at SBNation, I re-imagined some of the Orlando soccer players as Marvel heroes.

Marta – Captain Marvel

Let’s be honest. Marta is the definition of a soccer version of Captain Marvel. She is arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, has the most goals and assists in Orlando Pride history, and is a magician with the ball. While Captain Marvel saves the world from alien invasions, Marta creates goals from nothing to bring the Pride back into matches. Marta has also changed the women’s game and is an icon to many young girls.  

Dom Dwyer – Captain America

From the very first Captain America movie viewers learned that no matter how many times Steve Rogers got knocked down, he always got back up. This seems fitting for Dwyer, who has gotten injured early the past few seasons but regularly recovers. Also, without Dwyer on the field, Orlando severely lacks any attacking power. He’s also represented the United States in international play with the USMNT.

Ashlyn Harris – Black Widow

Harris is a real-life hero. She is a crucial on-field asset while making even bigger headlines off the field. She is a true leader both on and off the field. Her teammates love her, and her opposition hates playing against her.

Daryl Dike – Hulk

The Hulk is the strongest Avenger, and it’s not even close. Similarly, Dike is not only the strongest player on Orlando City, but he is the second strongest player in the world, according to FIFA 20.

Pedro Gallese – Spider-Man

Dubbed The Octopus, Gallese fits the profile of Spider-Man almost perfectly. “Spider-Man has spider-like abilities, including superhuman strength and the ability to cling to most surfaces. He is also extremely agile and has amazing reflexes.” Gallese has the power and strength needed to play goalkeeper at the highest level, but it is his agility and relaxes that makes him so good.

Nani – Iron Man

You never really know what Iron Man is going to do. With all his gadgets and his genius persona, Iron Man always has a trick or two up his sleeves, sometimes literally. On the soccer field, Nani is the same way. An entertainer with the ball who breaks ankles, Nani is one of the best players on the ball in MLS.

Mauricio Pereyra – Thor 

Thor is the type of hero that changes the entire battle. He takes on entire armies by himself and comes out victorious. While Thor has his hammer, Pereyra wreaks havoc with the ball. He has been one of the best players since he arrived in Orlando and can take on multiple defenders on the way to goal. 

Kristen Edmonds — Scarlet Witch

The Scarlet Witch is the most underrated character in the Avengers movies. She nearly single-handedly defeated Thanos and yet is not considered a major character by some viewers. Edmonds has the second most appearances and is top five in goals. She has also played just about every position on the field for Orlando. She is an Orlando Pride original who has played a crucial role for the Pride over the years, yet she has similarly taken a backseat in the mind of some fans to make room for some bigger name players on the team.

The Referees – Thanos  

This one likely doesn’t need that much explanation. From Ted Unkel shenanigans to VAR gone wrong, the Lions have had their fair share of poor officiating. #TRBOOBT