If the PlayStation Showcase proved anything, it’s that Insomniac is a genuine powerhouse for Sony. Its announcement of Wolverine was mind-blowing enough, no matter how early in development it is, and then it still managed to showcase Spider-Man 2, which releases in 2023. Only a handful of details were confirmed for both games, but that won’t stop the hype train.
Indeed, looking at Wolverine and knowing that it is likely fans won’t learn more for a while, it’s easy to search the brief trailer for any clue. Fans already noticed the license plate “HLK 181” which alludes to Wolverine’s comic debut (and some hope a Hulk appearance). Now, it’s unknown if Hulk would play a role in the game, but looking at the trailer broadly, it basically screams Old Man Logan.
Logan vs. Wolverine
As many know, the 2017 film Logan features the titular character and X-23 in a bleak alternative future, where the world turned against the X-Men. Mutants haven’t been born for 25 years, likely due to chemicals found in a certain crop, but one company manages to create them as weapons—including a version of Logan in his prime.
The movie is loosely based on the Old Man Logan storyline of the comics, where the world has been taken over by Supervillains. Logan embarks on a journey to unknowingly deliver the super-soldier serum to a group who want to become the new Avengers, with Logan killing Red Skull and The Hulk (who has deteriorated in his age, much like Professor X). This even happens to Wolverine, whose healing factor becomes much less effective over time. There are a few versions of this story, but the truth always is that Wolverine loses his family, drops his X-Men identity for a new name, and struggles with the events of the past.
Wolverine vs. Logan
Looking at the Wolverine trailer, it’s worth noting that there’s no part of the “X-Men” related to the title, making it seem like he is on his own. Now, this could be before he joined the X-Men when he was at his crudest, but it’s just as likely that he’s on his own for other reasons. The bar he’s in seems lowly and scummy, so it’s clearly not the best situation he finds himself in. It doesn’t mean the world is ruled by supervillains, but they are fighting for some reason—a bigger reason is more likely than these men just making Wolverine mad.
Another major detail is how his fists look before the claws come out. They are covered in blood and scrapes, which makes sense given that he likely fought his way through the bar, but some of that blood seems to be his own. The damage to his knuckles may have come from how hard he hit people and other items, but it’s not healed yet. While this is speculation, it could suggest that Wolverine’s healing factor is slowing much as it did in Old Man Logan.
Old Man Logan Makes Sense for a Wolverine Game, But…
While the scene set for Wolverine definitely makes for a solo journey that could be particularly inspired by Old Man Logan, there are a few things that don’t add up for this analysis. No one outside Insomniac Games knows how original the story is or what comic books are used to inspire it, and it’s possible these small details don’t mean what they might mean. For example, while his face is never showed, Logan doesn’t really seem to be “old.”
Secondly, the game’s title is Wolverine and could suggest that the character still goes by that name. On the other hand, it could also be part of the story where Logan reclaims his Wolverine identity, but this seems less likely. Not to mention, an allusion to Old Man Logan would make more sense than to HLK 181.
At the same time, that comic shows Wolverine and Hulk fighting—a fan-favorite staple that has been revisited multiple times—and something that also appears in Old Man Logan. Whether or not it influences the story Insomniac tells with Wolverine remains to be seen, but truth be told, a game based on Old Man Logan with at least one Hulk fight would certainly be welcomed by fans.
For many, the perfect studio to take on such a project would be Insomniac Games, even if it is slightly darker than the studio's usual stories. Many are hoping that Insomniac Games can redeem Wolverine in the video game genre, still, and that means a lot of gamers have put their faith in Insomniac for this game. Indeed, its track record proves it's perhaps the best studio for the job.
Wolverine is in development for PS5.