Marvel's Wolverine's Leaked Villain Already Sets Up One Classic Plot Point

Summary

Thanks toDeadpool and Wolverine, the X-Men are the talk of the town once again, and naturally, fans want to consume as much X-Men-related media as they can. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of excellent X-Men content out there, from decades' worth of great comic runs to shows like therecently releasedX-Men ‘97. But when it comes to video game adaptations, fans are going to have to wait a little bit longer forMarvel’s Wolverine.

Announced back in September 2021 alongsideMarvel’s Spider-Man 2,Marvel’s Wolverinehas been pretty much radio silent since then. But that doesn’t mean fans have been left completely in the dark. At the end of last year, Insomniac Games suffered a major hack which resulted in many of its in-development titles being leaked online. This leak includedMarvel’s Wolverine. And while leaks should always be taken with a big pinch of salt, especially in the case of a data breach like this one, there’s one villain leak that, if true, could set up a classic X-Men storyline for Insomniac’s Marvel universe.

Marvel’s Wolverine Tag Page Cover Art

Marvel’s Wolverine Could Follow a Classic X-Men Comic Arc With its Villain

Marvel’s Wolverine Mr. Sinister Leaks Explained

Marvel’s Wolverinewas by far the game most affected bythe Insomniac hack, with gameplay footage from early builds, revealing concept art, and even summaries of the game’s plot all appearing online in the days following the hack. Among the array of leaked information, some eager fans managed to find a cast list forMarvel’s Wolverine. This leaked cast list suggested that a few classic X-Men villains would be present in the game, including Sabretooth, Mystique, and Omega Red. But of all the leaked villains, one name stands out above the rest: Mr. Sinister.

Originally introduced inThe Uncanny X-Men #221back in 1987,Mr. Sinister/Dr. Nathaniel Essexis one of the X-Men’s most dangerous villains. A gene-splicing scientist who was given superpowers by Apocalypse, Mr. Sinister is obsessed with creating the perfect life-form, and his endeavors often see him come to blows with the X-Men and its various spin-off teams. Along with his ability to clone himself and others, Mr. Sinister has powerful precognition abilities, and can often shape-shift.

According to the leaked cast list,Marvel’s Wolverine’s Mr. Sinisterwill be played by Troy Baker, one of the best-known voices in gaming. Interestingly, this leaked cast list also suggested that Jean Grey will play a major role inMarvel’s Wolverine, who – together with Mr. Sinister – could lead to an adaptation of one of the X-Men’s oldest comic arcs.

How Marvel’s Wolverine Could Set Up The Goblin Queen Arc

First introduced in 1983 – four years before Mr. Sinister’s own introduction – Madelyne Pryor is originally presented as someone who simply looks like Jean Grey, and after Grey’s presumed death, Pryor becomes a love interest for Scott Summers. However, in a 1989 crossover comic arc titledX-Men:Inferno, it’s revealed thatMadelyne Pryor is actually a clone of Jean Greycreated by Mr. Sinister decades ago, and given life by the Phoenix Force. It’s also revealed that it was Mr. Sinister’s plan to forge a relationship between Pryor and Summers so that they could produce a child, whom Sinister believed would be the next step in humanity’s evolution.

X-Men ‘97recently adapted the Goblin Queen arc in its first three episodes.

Upon learning these revelations, Madelyne Pryor suffers a severe mental break, and the demon N’astirh convinces her to aid him in scorching the planet. This alliance turns Pryor into a powerful being known asthe Goblin Queen. Though she’s eventually defeated by the X-Men and X-Factor, Pyror has returned many times in the comics as various antagonist entities.

With both Mr. Sinister and Jean Grey allegedly playing major roles inMarvel’s Wolverine, there’s a possibility that Madelyne Pryor and the Goblin Queen arc could appear in the game, or more likely, be set up inWolverinefor an eventual payoff in Insomniac’s rumored X-Men game.