After the success of Marvel's Spider-Man, it seems like Insomniac Games is cementing itself as the premiere Marvel superhero studio. Not only has it expanded the Marvel's Spider-Man series with Miles Morales and the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but it is also set to explore another Marvel superhero with Marvel's Wolverine sometime in the future. There will be no shortage of Marvel content in the next couple of years, and Insomniac Games will be leading the charge on the video game front.
While Marvel's Wolverine and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are exciting, those two heroes are also some of the most iconic and explored heroes within the Marvel universe. If Insomniac Games wants to expand its franchise even more, then it should go for a hero that has not headlined their own video game: Black Panther. The protector and ruler of Wakanda could lead a riveting series of mature games, and that makes him the perfect next step for this superhero franchise.
Black Panther Would Be the Perfect Next Step for Insomniac
Black Panther is a major force throughout the comics, and has recently risen to mainstream prominence thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Prince T'Challa made his big screen debut in Captain America: Civil War and was instantly loved by moviegoers. He would go on to spawn his own subseries within the MCU, and played a prominent role in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Sadly, Chadwick Boseman would pass away before he got the chance to star in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but that would lead to the rise of a new version of the titular character.
While Black Panther may be the one of the highest-grossing films of the MCU, he has yet to headline his own video game. He has made appearances in numerous titles over the years from LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel Heroes to Marvel's Avengers and Disney Infinity. He is also set to appear Skydance New Media's upcoming Captain America and Black Panther game, but he could do much more as a solo central protagonist.
Black Panther and the country of Wakanda have so much story potential waiting to be tapped. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be able to tell any more stories involving T'Challa, video games can start a new story. Specifically, Insomniac Games can be the ones to take the reins. It already showed that it knows how to handle popular Marvel heroes, and if it can do Wolverine justice, then it should be given access to Wakanda.
Wakanda would let Insomniac Games really flex its creative muscles. It would take the studio away from New York City and thrust it into a fictional country half a world away. This would force the studio to craft an entirely unique open-world and fill it with untold stories that New York City would not let it tell. The culture of Wakanda is fascinating, and the entire Black Panther mythos would be exciting to explore.
A Black Panther story would likely be far more mature than Marvel's Spider-Man is, and that would allow Insomniac Games to showcase its writing ability. It already wrote engaging Spider-Man stories that hit all the right notes, but it feels like Black Panther would be the studio's chance to take its storytelling to the next level. T'Challa is far more than just another hero; he is a leader who must do whatever he can to protect his people in a world that is often out to get them. It is something that characters like Spider-Man do not have to grapple with, and that gives the studio a refreshing change of pace.
A Black Panther game could be a fantastic next step for Insomniac Games' Marvel series. While the studio has shown that it knows how to play around with Spider-Man's cast of characters, if it can also tell a great Wolverine story, then there is no reason why it should not adapt other superheroes.
Marvel's Wolverine is currently in development for PS5.