Marvel’s Wolverine was a huge surprise for fans as an announcement alongside the official reveal of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Both games are coming from Insomniac, and while that may allude to them sharing a connected universe it has not been confirmed one way or the other. Still, one may inevitably affect the other with regard to whatever Insomniac has learned developing the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, and if a connected universe is indeed shared between them, it would grant Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a great opportunity to tease Marvel’s Wolverine.
There are several ways that Marvel’s Wolverine could be teased or alluded to in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but it should also remain its own standalone title even if Spider-Man could end up bumping into Wolverine at some point. Having the Avengers Tower represented in Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Manhattan was great for world-building, but anything now that references the X-Men will be a clear sign of something players could see in Marvel’s Wolverine. However, Marvel’s Spider-Man’s best bet seems to be introducing Marvel’s Wolverine through science and not superpowers.
How Wolverine Can Be Introduced in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
If there are any characters who have proficient knowledge in metallurgy, Marvel’s Spider-Man’s most convenient way of setting up or even teasing that Wolverine is around in the same universe is through adamantium. One name-drop of the metal alloy would be an obvious reference to the metal that coats Wolverine’s skeleton and bone claws, like how vibranium can be used as an obvious reference to Captain America’s shield or Black Panther’s cultural heritage.
There would need to be some sort of narrative significance to this reference, or it could simply be a name-drop that J. Jonah Jameson decides to mention in his latest podcast appearance. Otherwise, Marvel’s Spider-Man delves deeply into science-heavy designs for its supervillain characters, and it is incredibly likely that any antagonist in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 could don armor made of adamantium.
Oscorp could have adamantium as part of its research division, especially since it is now known that Norman Osborn has possession of far more foreign substances, such as the black alien symbiote. Therefore, it would be easy enough for Insomniac to have adamantium on display, either in a public place such as Grand Central Station or in a private laboratory in Osborn’s penthouse suite again.
Insomniac’s Marvel Games Shouldn’t Rely Too Heavily on Science
That said, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 should be a little more conservative when it comes to how much science is emphasized over superpowers. Peter Parker and Miles Morales’ abilities originated from science and not superpowers, but when designs become too overly scientific it can take away from what makes them fun or interesting in the first place.
Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Electro wears an unremarkable vest as his costume, for example, and almost every other supervillain relies upon a heavy suit of armor and technology. This makes sense for characters such as Doctor Octopus, whose tentacle appendages are given a lot of narrative significance, but Rhino’s design makes less sense when it is considered that the man within the armor is equally large.
Some designs are better left to having superpowers explain them away, and it would be disappointing to see another armor-clad Green Goblin rather than the medieval elf costume that he is classically known to wear. If Wolverine is teased through science, then that will make a lot of sense for at least part of what makes the character iconic, but the mutant genes that the X-Men exhibit are much more powerful than even science can depict in the Marvel universe.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in fall 2023 for PS5.