It feels as if fans of the curmudgeonly mutant Wolverine have been waiting ages for a great solo game, and Insomniac answered their prayers during its PlayStation Showcase appearance last year. With the surprise announcement of Marvel's Wolverine, players were finally able to look forward to a game that not only featured but also focused on the fan-favorite member of the X-Men. Although Wolverine has had a successful solo outing in film form via Logan, it would be incredibly exciting to see this same mature sensibility when it comes to the video game's storytelling.
Since the announcement in 2021, not many details have been released regarding Marvel's Wolverine, with fans clamoring for more information. It's likely that the game won't be released until at least 2024 after Insomniac's behemoth title Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comes out in 2023. However, the atmospheric teaser trailer was more than enough to get fans excited for the upcoming game, even if Marvel's Wolverine still mostly remains a mystery. But with confirmation that the Story Lead will be Walt Williams of Spec Ops: The Line fame, this opens up interesting possibilities.
Details From Marvel's Wolverine Revealed So Far
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The announcement teaser for Marvel's Wolverine last year showed very little about the actual game, but since it was revealed, a few intriguing details have surfaced. It's a safe assumption that Insomniac knows what it's doing with comic book characters after the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. However, when it comes to Spider-Man and Wolverine, fans would be hard-pressed to find two more diverse heroes, so it will be interesting to see how the games will diverge in their depictions of their protagonists.
True to character, it seems as if the cigar-smoking anti-hero won't be holding back when it comes to Wolverine's signature violent streak. For someone who has weapons literally at hand at all times and an ability to heal even the heftiest of wounds, a violent, no-holds-barred approach just makes sense for a solo video game outing. Although a mindless massacre can be fun in more tongue-in-cheek games, it will be interesting to see how Marvel's Wolverine will tackle the gore and inevitable blowback from a brutal rampage.
Apart from hints that the feral mutant will be unleashed with claws bared, there aren't a lot of other details about what gameplay will look like for Marvel's Wolverine. However, it will probably be a 3rd-person action game similar to Insomniac's previous Marvel title with dynamic combat, although sadly Wolverine doesn't have the same web-slinging abilities to facilitate travel across a city setting.
What Walt Williams Could Bring To The Game
The Logan that fans have come to know and love in comics and film appearances has always leaned toward a more dark and mature type of storytelling, and this ties in perfectly with Walt Williams' previous work in Spec Ops: The Line. Although Williams has written for other video games in the past, including Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Evolve, it's his work on the 2012 third-person shooter that opens up intriguing questions about what Insomniac want Marvel's Wolverine to be.
Far from a typical military shooter, Spec Ops: The Line challenged players' assumptions that games that deal with conflict and wars should be entertaining, exploring the darker sides of combat and the effect it can have on soldiers. With Marvel's Wolverine centering on a violent but no less untroubled protagonist, Williams' involvement and experience on Spec Ops should prove to be a great mix. Stories with Logan also lend themselves well to the kind of moral ambiguity present in Spec Ops: The Line. All of these elements would make Marvel's Wolverine an enjoyable title with a powerful story, similar in narrative style to The Last of Us.
If Walt Williams was able to carve out an emotionally nuanced and mature story in a genre that is more renowned for mindless violence, he should be able to craft a suitably weighty and resonant narrative amidst the violence and gore that will no doubt accompany Logan in his big AAA solo game.
Marvel's Wolverine is in development for PS5.
