Insomniac Games is hard at work to deliver theirhighly-anticipatedMarvel’s Spider-Man 2in 2023, a game serving as a direct sequel to their 2018 PlayStation exclusive hitMarvel’s Spider-Man. Fans already know what their next game is going to be thanks to a reveal trailer at the 2021 PlayStation Showcase.Marvel’s Wolverinelooks to give Logan the true AAA video game treatment and theMarvelfandom is losing its mind in anticipation.
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A character like Wolverine has such a storied history, with tons of material to pull from and be inspired by. Regardless of what story Insomniac Games decides to tell involving the most beloved super-powered curmudgeon around, it’s safe to say there is a handful of Wolverine-adjacent characters that need to make an appearance in some capacity.
8Wendigo
A problem that video games have that comic books can overcome is introducing a villain for the hero to defeat. In the world of comics, characters and stories are reanimated and rebooted so often fans of the medium are used to it. In gaming, sometimes introducing a villain too early removes any chance of them returning in the future due to death and/or defeat. The Wendigo solves this issue as it isn’t a specific person, but rather a curse that attaches to anyone in the Canadian wild that resorts to cannibalism in their darkest moment of need.
Having a reoccurring enemy that can come upon Wolverine at any moment, and can also have slightly different designs based on who it’s currently possessing means that players could run into it several times throughout a trilogy of games. That, in and of itself, could be an ongoing narrative element that Wolverine decides to investigate and possibly solve by the time his journey comes to a close.
7The Hand
It’s unclear what the story focus will be for Insomniac Games in regard toMarvel’s Wolverine. Without knowing the timeline or setting it’s hard to predict what the main antagonistic force will be, and what type of enemies players will have to overcome in moment-to-moment gameplay. The Hand is an enemy faction in Marvel Comics comprised of expert-level ninjas who work in unison to take down anything in their path.
With it being unlikely that the Japanese-centric events of Wolverine’s storied history would serve as the focus of this game, The Hand serves as a nice introduction to what could be explored in a sequel and tie his experiences in North America with what he deals with overseas.
6Romulus
Romulus is a lesser-known Wolverine villain who might happen to be the scariest of the bunch. He’s a hyper-intelligent primal human who is said to have come from a line of people called Lupin that evolved from canines rather than apes. He’s a manipulator and strategist who often isn’t seeking to kill or defeat Wolverine but rather steers him toward his darkest primal desires.
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Romulus doesn’t want Wolverine to placate his emotions but rather wants him to lean into violence and rage. One of their more iconic conversations revolves around Romulus telling Wolverine that he’s looked over sheep his entire life, and not because Logan is a shepherd, but rather that he’s a wolf simply biding his time.
5Omega Red
Omega Red, for those unfamiliar, is the Russian (Soviet Era) equivalent of the super-soldier program that resulted in the creation of Steve Rogers' Captain America persona. The big difference is that Omega Red has carbonadium implants and can drain foes of their life energy. He needs a specific piece of technology called a Carbonadium Synthesiser to live, which is often the McGuffin in stories involving him.
Narratively he’s able to serve as a mirror for Wolverine in order to see how unfocused aggression and violence are tools for destruction. In many ways, Omega Red serves as a catalyst for change in terms of Wolverine’s understanding that he’s much more than what a lab turned him into and he can overcome his primal desires urging him to hurt anything and everything in his path.
4Deadpool
WithDeadpool 3entering into production soon, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman both confirmed that the latter would be returning one last time to take on the role of Wolverine.Deadpool and Wolverineare the perfect comedic duo, fitting into the roles of loose cannon and straight man, respectively. With Deadpool being able to break the fourth wall it’s a tough balance including him in a game likeMarvel’s Wolverinewhere immersion is a focus.
That being said, even if he pops in as a brief cameo, fans will lose their minds that the merc with a mouth snuck his way into another game. It’ll be a nice teaser for the eventual AAA blockbuster experience Marvel Games eventually greenlights for the lovable lunatic.
3Hulk
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has adapted dozens of comic book events and fights into live-action in a way fans never thought was possible just a few decades ago. There still happens to be one famous brawl that hasn’t made the jump in a major way outside of animation. Just the idea ofWolverine and the Hulk going at itis the embodiment of the phrase “an immovable object meets an unstoppable force.”
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Finding enemies that will challenge Wolverine and provide a bit of difficulty for the player will serve as a challenge for Insomniac Games, but they happen to have a perfect scenario sitting in their lap. Here’s hoping if it ends up being in the game that it’s teased in trailers, but the full experience is saved for when the game is released and in the player’s hands.
2The X-Men
Wolverine served as the face of theX-Menfor two decades in the world of film, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be present in his big AAA game. It’s unclear at what pointMarvel’s Wolverinetakes place in the timeline of Logan’s life.
That means there is a chance he’s already part ofProfessor Xavier’s school, but there’s also a chance Wolverine is a loner for much of this game as he tries to figure out his purpose. With the X-Men, or mutants rather, being such a large collective, Wolverine could have run-ins with other mutants that will eventually become a part of the X-Men but aren’t associated at the moment.
1Sabretooth
Insomniac Games proved withMarvel’s Spider-Manthat they understood how important Marvel Comics characters are to people. They took the time and effort to deliver a Spider-Man story that was both authentic and refreshing. With Wolverine, it’s safe to assume that Sabretooth will be inMarvel’s Wolverine, but in what capacity and role?
That’s where things get interesting, becausea narrative in which Sabretooth is presentedas a “friend turned foe,” or a situational antagonist could make the dynamic between the two machines of violence much more interesting and engaging. Sabretooth is often portrayed as a one-note brute, but this game offers him the chance to be much more than that.
