Highlights

  • Spider-Man 2 has been a huge success, becoming PlayStation's fastest-selling first-party game and solidifying Insomniac's reputation as a top-tier studio.
  • The game contains subtle references to Insomniac's upcoming Wolverine game, hinting at a shared universe and potential story connections.
  • Fans can expect a Wolverine reveal in the near future, possibly at the 2023 Game Awards, as Insomniac continues to deliver hit games for PlayStation.

Spider-Man 2 has been a resounding success for Insomniac, quickly becoming PlayStation's fastest-selling first-party game, bolstered by meaningful improvements to just about every facet of its predecessor. While another installment rounding out the Spider-Man trilogy appears imminent, the acclaimed studio will first take a detour into another fan-favorite Marvel superhero, and Spider-Man 2 tips the studio's hat with several inclusions of varying subtlety that tease its upcoming Wolverine game.

The latest exclusive for the PlayStation 5, Spider-Man 2 represents the perfect capstone to 2023, a historically bountiful year for video games. Insomniac continues its unassailable win streak, further cementing the studio's legacy as one of the most dependable and consistent in the industry. Currently sitting at a 90 on Metacritic, Spider-Man 2 has forced its way into the conversation for game of the year, despite its late arrival and stiff competition.

RELATED: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Fan Uses Photo Mode to Poke Fun at Plot Hole

With Great Power Come Great Easter Eggs

Miles gliding

First unveiled at a PlayStation Showcase in 2021, Wolverine is next up on Insomniac's slate of titles. Its initial teaser trailer did not reveal all that much about what the game will entail, but leading speculation places it as a more visceral, less irreverent take on superheroes than Insomniac's previous outings, with a semi-linear design with larger playable spaces, akin to God of War Ragnarok. It is one of several Marvel tie-in projects currently announced, with others including:

  • Motive Studio's Iron Man
  • Skydance Media's Untitled game from Amy Hennig
  • Cliffhanger Game's Black Panther

In a recent interview, Spider-Man 2's creative director Bryan Intihar confirmed that the upcoming Wolverine game will be set within the same universe as Insomniac's Spider-Man games. That context is important given several references made to the man with the adamantium skeleton over the course of Spider-Man 2. The most notable would be the late-game suit unlock for Miles Morales. Available after hitting level 52, the Best There Is suit becomes available for purchase, showcasing Wolverine's iconic style with color variants that reference a number of distinct eras across his tenure with the X-Men. The other reference is a bit less direct, occurring during the Bad Guys on the Block main mission. In a collectible data log on the life of Dr. Farley Stillwell, the fictional island of Madripoor is mentioned, which is a recurring setting featured prominently in X-Men lore.

Insomniac's Track Record Bodes Well for Wolverine

Wolvering sitting at a bar in a cowboy hat

What connections beyond the subtle references between Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine remain a mystery, but given the interwoven nature of Marvel's over-arching plots, it would not be the most outrageous assumption that Insomniac's Wolverine will feature Kraven's Hunters at some point in its story. Even more likely is that it will eventually take players to the Hong Kong-inspired island of Madripoor in pursuit of someone from the X-Men's rogues gallery tied to the principality such as Mystique or Viper.

As players discover these nods to Insomniac's next game, the stage is set for a Wolverine reveal in the near future. Some are anticipating the 2023 Game Awards as a prime spot for a more in-depth look at the title, though a PlayStation Showcase in early 2024 seems just as likely. Until more is unveiled, fans will have to make do swinging through the streets of New York City in the Best There Is suit as they await the New Game Plus update for Spider-Man 2. The massive tonal shift from Peter and Miles' non-lethal combat to Logan's berserker take-no-prisoners approach will pose a significant challenge for Insomniac, though, at this point in the studio's near-unmatched run of consecutive hit games, there is nothing signifying that Wolverine will be anything less than another slam dunk for PlayStation as it continues to build out its roster of console-selling exclusives.