The recent PlayStation Showcase event sent shockwaves throughout the industry as Sony revealed a number of major, high profile games that are on the way to PS4 and PS5. One new PS5 exclusive game revealed at PlayStation Showcase that came as an especially big surprise was the new Wolverine video game that's in development at Insomniac Games. The brief Wolverine trailer didn't reveal a whole lot about the game, but people have started tearing it apart for clues. And while it remains to be seen just how representative this trailer will be of the final game, an Easter egg referencing The Incredible Hulk has been found.
The Wolverine reveal trailer shows Logan sitting at a bar, with a variety of junk adorning the wall. This includes a licenese plate that reads HLK 181, which comic book fans will recognize as a nod to The Incredible Hulk issue 181, also known as the first full appearance of Wolverine in the comic books (he technically made his debut in The Incredible Hulk #180, but that was just a cameo). Some have taken this to mean that Hulk could show up in the Wolverine game, but that may be a stretch.
A more likely explanation is that this license plate is just a nod to Wolverine's first full comic book appearance and doesn't have anything to do with the plot of the Wolverine video game. Insomniac has already said that the Wolverine game is standalone, so it seems unlikely that it will include characters from outside of X-Men storylines. Then again, Wolverine and Hulk have had numerous encounters over the years and the Wolverine game could still technically be standalone, even if Hulk did show up. After all, it could be a version of Hulk that only exists in this Wolverine video game universe with no connections to Insomniac's Spider-Man games or the Hulk from Marvel's Avengers.
An Incredible Hulk Easter egg isn't the only detail that's been found hiding in the Wolverine reveal trailer. Fans have also noticed that there's an eyepatch on the bar, which has significance to Wolverine's past in the comics. In the comic books, Wolverine starts wearing an eyepatch around the time that he visits Madripoor. Some have taken this as a sign that the Wolverine video game will be set in Madripoor or feature it to some extent, though again, fans may want to refrain from reading too much into this trailer.
It may be quite some time before Wolverine fans learn more about the video game, as it's still in the very early stages of development. In fact, the game may not be out until after 2023, as that's the year that Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 will be releasing for PS5.
Spider-Man 2 will feature Venom and rumor has it Kraven the Hunter as well, but otherwise details on it are just as scarce as the Wolverine game. PlayStation fans can look forward to learning more about both Marvel titles in the months and years ahead.
Wolverine is in development for PS5.
