Insomniac has had a busy half a decade, and has a very ambitious few years ahead of it. Besides two stellar Spider-Man entries and a third upcoming Spider-Man game, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also garnered critical and commercial acclaim. The company was purchased by Sony in November 2019, and since then has proved that it can deliver high quality games in quick succession. Its triumph with the wall crawler meant it looked to be more than capable of taking on the Wolverine when Marvel's Wolverine was announced to be in development at a 2021 PlayStation Showcase.
Whereas Spider-Man has had some luck in gaming, Wolverine hasn't been exposed to the medium as much, so this is the most anticipated outing for him to date. It has to set a good impression, and with the wealth of characters that Marvel has at its disposal, there is always the temptation of using them in a fleeting way to give fans a moment to be excited about. Wolverine's place in the X-Men means Marvel's Wolverine is even riper for a cameo or companion. However, having Logan chaperone another member of Professor Xavier's group through the story could have both benefits and drawbacks.
More X-Men Means More Hype
There's no escaping the draw of the X-Men. It's a group that has become one of the most beloved ensembles in not just comics, but fiction as a whole. From Charles Xavier to Kitty Pryde, the team has a lure to them that will surely be hard for Insomniac to pass up, especially since it established a pattern of referencing a wide range of Marvel characters when it introduced Miles Morales in 2018's Spider-Man. Having some X-Men pop up in the story as a companion, even momentarily, would be iconic, because if it can be kept a secret it would be an memorable surprise for years to come.
It would also do well to establish some kind of lore in Marvel's Wolverine, as confirming the existence of at least one X-Man would imply that Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters does, or will eventually exist within that game's world. Having a plot point be Wolverine reigniting his relationship with Jean Grey and including her abilities in the game could provide endless possibilities and enjoyment. Reaching into the X-Men toy box would definitely have its perks.
Wolverine Works as a Loner
However, this could come at the cost of storytelling. Wolverine works so well as a solo character that it would be hard for a companion to not feel like they're getting in the way of a classic Wolverine experience. Logan's general moodiness and distrust for others shrouds him in mystery, which is a big part of his appeal. Like Kratos in God of War, seeing him let down his guard is really rewarding, and an engaging plot point in its own right, so bringing a companion who needs their share of screen time could be detrimental to the narrative, as Wolverine is interesting enough to not need a sidekick or warm-up act.
It could also subvert the expectations set by the announcement trailer, albeit negatively. The limited promotional material that gamers have been given present a glimpse at the game's tone and overall feel, which was far from the typical superhero tropes that the MCU has popularized outside the comics. This looks to be more mature and human, possibly echoing the atmosphere of the likes of The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption rather than Marvel's Avengers or Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Marvel's Wolverine is currently in development.
