They do seem much more reactionary and passive, but tbh they don't seem to be as efficient as american marvel players. They don't make appropriate use of assists to gain ground, especially for hulk, who could have used magnetos beam to get in a lot better than just super-jumping, which is all one guy seemed to do to get in. Marvel is a game that rewards relentless offence much more than reactionary playstyle, and though it can be argued that the latter requires a more analytic mind, it's simply not how marvel works for the most part, when a single (perhaps even lucky) hit can lead to the death of any character.
And yes, I think not saving meter for d.phoenix is foolhardy.