Summary
Insomnia Games is staying quiet about its upcoming projects for now, but a combination of announced titles and leaks point to the next few years being huge for the Sony studio. AMiles Morales-tier Venom spin-off might be in production, followed swiftly by the long-awaitedMarvel’s Wolverinegame. Other Marvel-based games will soon follow, but a lot of people are keen to get their hands onMarvel’s Wolverinein particular. Between the gradual return of Fox-licensed movie properties like theX-Mento theMCUand the amount of time since the last majorX-Mengame, hopes are high for Wolverine’s big solo title.
After how well Insomniac’s current threeSpider-Mangames have gone, it’s not hard to see why this team taking on aWolverinegame is such an exciting prospect. Insomniac’s versions of Marvel’s iconic characters bring together decades of beloved stories to create unique and fully realized re-tellings that nonetheless honor the history that produced them. Throw in the prospect ofSpider-Man’s excellent action combat being adaptedto Logan’s hack-and-slash fighting style, and theWolverinegame sounds like a surefire success. All that may be holding it back is an inability to fit in some of Wolverine’s most prominent recurring allies.
Wolverine and Deadpool Have A Long History of Teaming Up
During the remaining months beforeMarvel’s Wolverineis ready, fans can get a taste of Wolverine’s return to Marvel stardom in theDeadpool & Wolverinemovie at the end of July 2024. Even though he is considered a distinct character,Deadpool is friends with variousX-Menheroes like Domino, Cable, and Wolverine, with the latter frequently sharing an important moment in both of their backstories involving the Weapon X program. It’s fitting, in a meta sense, that such an important moment as both joining theMCUis framed as a team-up film.
Deadpool Is Fated To Miss Out On Marvel’s Wolverine
Unfortunately, even though their silver screen team-up is at hand, it probably won’t translate to another one on home consoles anytime soon. The leaked information on Insomniac’s future projects implies that a number of Marvel characters are not eligible to appear in thisWolverinegame, or in anyotherX-Mentitles, due to licensing complications. Deadpool is chief among them, and while Wolverine has plenty of regular friends and foes to fill out his next adventure’s cast, it’s a shame that this particular reestablished partnership is already being cut short. Still, there is a way for the Merc with a Mouth to make himself heard.
Insomniac Already Has A Solution For Referencing Deadpool In Marvel’s Wolverine
Marvel’s Spider-Mandidn’t take being built off ofSpider-Man’s rich history lying down. Rather, it used its premise as the tale of a Peter Parker already established as Spider-Man to layer in tons of Easter eggs and references toSpider-Man’s history, even as the game’s present-day plot brings more in that Peter hasn’t encountered yet. Often, this takes the form of collectible costumes, sometimes with extra powers, but usually just for purely cosmetic purposes. Almost every suit that Peter and Miles find is a reference to some storyline or alternate timeline, and some, likeSpider-Man 2’s Black Panther and Wolverine suits, reference other characters entirely.
Wolverine’s Shout-Out Suits Can Fill In Lots Of Gaps
Despite looking like he’ll start the game in casual wear, Logan can go on the samesuit-collecting spree inMarvel’s Wolverine. In theory, these should be able to give props to characters and events that the game would otherwise not have the room or jurisdiction to cover. Deadpool is an obvious one, able to be represented by something as simple as a palette swap for one of Wolverine’s classic yellow suits, and can have some flavor text where Logan indirectly references his sometimes-ally. With this approach,Marvel’s Wolverineshould be able to keep fans happy while staying within the boundaries of the story it intends to tell.
