Highlights
- The connection between Marvel's Wolverine and Marvel's Spider-Man was confirmed by Insomniac, but it is unsure how this will affect the established Spider-Man universe.
- Marvel's Spider-Man includes numerous iconic Marvel references, but these references are not intended to be the focus of the game.
- Insomniac has resisted teasing Wolverine in-universe, possibly due to the details of the character's design and the game's events not being decided yet. Therefore, there is no reason to expect that Spider-Man will play a monumental role in Marvel's Wolverine, even if the two characters interacting seems inevitable.
One of the biggest questions fans had about Marvel’s Wolverine when it was announced was whether it would belong to the same universe as Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise due to the games sharing a developer and Marvel banner. That was recently revealed to be true, but by Insomniac itself and not an in-game tease as many fans would have suspected such a reveal to be made.
This news fell sort of flatly as a result, especially since it’s unclear how that will have any effect on the established Spider-Man universe. Seeing as how indulgent Marvel references have had little to no impact on Spider-Man’s character, it’s likely that Spider-Man may not have any effect on Wolverine, either. However, there are fans on both sides of that fence and there might not be any way to elude disappointing one of those halves when more from Marvel’s Wolverine is shared.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Refers to Marvel Characters Explicitly, But Never Shows Them
Insomniac’s New York City is Rife with Iconic Marvel References
The Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise doesn’t hide its associations with other Marvel lore. It’s interesting to consider how each iconic Marvel character teased is technically an Insomniac iteration in-and-of itself, even if they are only notable landmarks and not the actual character who traditionally inhabits them. Wong even sends a note to Miles that refers to Dr. Strange, and that’s as close to direct communication as the franchise has seen since Tony Stark’s job offer letter to Peter in the original game—though only his initials appeared and his identity was never clarified thereafter.
Landmarks such as the Avengers Tower, Fogwell’s Gym, Wakandan Embassy, Rand Industries, Sanctum Sanctorum, and more are evidence that Insomniac didn’t want Spider-Man to be the only Marvel character established in its universe, though it’s also clear that with them all absent for one reason or another they aren’t intended to be a focus of the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise.
That’s why, despite seeing a Fantastic Four logo being painted on a rooftop or the whole tantalizing debacle of Insomniac omitting and then replacing the Nelson and Murdock building sign, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for those characters to suddenly arrive and play a role in Spider-Man’s life. Further, it wouldn’t make sense for Wolverine’s life to be disturbed by Spider-Man.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Has Resisted the Urge to Tease Wolverine In-Universe
Marvel’s Wolverine Could Follow Spider-Man’s Lead and Not Indulge in Cameos
Insomniac had an opportunity to drop a massive tease on fans by leading into Marvel’s Wolverine through Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, whether in a throwaway line of dialogue or a post-credits sequence. Insomniac may have refused to do so because details about the character’s design or the game’s events aren’t yet decided on, meaning Insomniac didn’t have anything ready they could tease fans with.
Regardless, the only detail teasing Wolverine at all is the Wolverine-inspired unlockable suit for Miles. This is a phenomenal treat for fans excited about the game, but it’s still important to consider that this isn’t an in-universe tease, only a cosmetic addition that doesn’t hold any significance in the story or the world. Therefore, Wolverine still hasn’t been made part of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s universe yet, and there’s currently no reason to anticipate Wolverine running into Spider-Man in Marvel’s Wolverine for the same reason.
The mention of Madripoor and Trask Industries has everyone on edge about a potential connection, for instance, but at the moment they bear no context outside the one delegated to Scorpion as seen in the document. Marvel’s Spider-Man has been great for centering on its titular characters without indulging needlessly in cameos and if Marvel’s Wolverine suddenly became a cameo-laden installment it would take away from all the engaging character development that Wolverine could have.
Even though Wolverine shares a universe with Spider-Man, that shouldn’t mean that Insomniac’s treatment of the character is approached any differently. Of course, it would seem pointless to announce Wolverine and Spider-Man sharing a universe if they weren’t going to be interacting with one another, so fans can likely expect that to happen at some point.
Marvel's Wolverine is in development.
