Insomniac Games shared new details about its upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive, Marvel's Wolverine, during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Creative director Marcus Smith, Wolverine director Mike Daly, narrative director Walt Williams, project director Jess Reiner-Reed, and executive producer Eric Monacelli, alongside voice actors Liam McIntyre (Wolverine) and Krizia Bajos (Jean Grey), offered insight into the character's portrayal and the game's narrative.
"Our Wolverine is cynical, he's candid, he keeps people at a distance," explained Mike Daly. He elaborated that this detachment stems from both an awareness of his own dangerous nature and a desire to avoid further emotional pain. Despite this guarded exterior, Daly noted that Wolverine "has a big heart and that gets him into trouble," hinting at complex relationships, particularly with Jean Grey.
The game will not serve as an origin story. Instead, it's set in a world where mutants are still largely unknown, and the X-Men have not yet formed. However, the narrative trailer confirmed the presence of familiar characters such as Sabretooth, Mystique, Omega Red, and Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex), who is revealed to have formed Team X. Wolverine is set on Earth-1048, the same universe as Insomniac's Spider-Man titles, though any potential crossover remains unconfirmed.
Marvel's Wolverine begins three years after Logan's tenure with Team X, a special ops group led by Mister Sinister. Logan has lost his memory and will spend a significant portion of the game uncovering his recent past. An official prequel comic book, penned by narrative director Walt Williams and available at SDCC, delves into the traumatic events that precede the game's story. This comic details an early Team X mission involving Wolverine, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Sunfire investigating a hideout belonging to Bolivar Trask, where they discover Trask's sequestered wife and mutant daughter. The comic also depicts Logan's first experience with Berserker Rage, directly leading into the game's narrative.
Combat is described as "animalistic," a characteristic emphasized in the game's revealed gameplay. Liam McIntyre, who voices Logan, shared that he drew inspiration from footage of rabid dogs to capture the character's "feral" qualities, crediting the motion capture team for creating a supportive environment for his performance.
The relationship between Jean Grey and Logan is a central element of the story. With the X-Men not yet established, Jean Grey is independently searching for and aiding other mutants. Her path crosses with Logan's, leading to what voice actress Krizia Bajos described as a "cosmic connection." The depth of their relationship is expected to be a significant focus.
Music for Marvel's Wolverine is composed by Emmy Award-winning composer David Fleming. The panel featured a preview of the game's main theme, titled "Logan." Additionally, a Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls Wolverine skin will be available on day one, with a reciprocal Insomniac Wolverine skin planned for the fighting game.
Insomniac aims for players to feel "powerful" when controlling Logan, according to creative director Marcus Smith, a sentiment that appears well-supported by the game's presentation.