Although the first trailer forMarvel’s Wolverinedoes not feature an iconic “bub” uttered by the superhero, it has a lot of characterization. A classic dive bar is seen totally destroyed, with bodies strewn across. Wolverine tucks into a neat scotch, and as an enemy stands up and draws a knife, the audience sees a huge set of claws unsheathed. While this might look like a classic scene for the character, it might also be bad news for Insomniac Games' upcoming title if not managed correctly.
Insomniac is not the only developer working on superhero games at the moment. Eidos Montreal is working on aGuardians of the Galaxygame, and its interpretation of Peter Quill has garnered some criticism so far. TheAvengersgame by Crystal Dynamics received similar critiques initially, due to its protagonists looking uncannily like their MCU counterparts. While picking up on certain iconic elements of Marvel characters is essential for adaptations like these, providing enough of a unique spin is needed to make a game likeMarvel’s Wolverinestand out among popular interpretations in other media.
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Guardians of the Galaxy’s Peter Quill Problem
In spite ofGuardians of the Galaxyalready going gold, it might hit a certain stumbling block related to its lead character. Not only doesPeter Quill in the game look similar to his MCU counterpart, his tone and humor is also starting to look very similar.
Guardians of the Galaxywas a well put-together film in its own right, but it was a particularly refreshing entry into Marvel’s cinematic universe. Whille these films are usually good, some of them become a touch formulaic.James Gunn’s unique reimagining of the superhero filmas a comedic space opera was a breath of fresh air - one partly brought to life by Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord.
Unfortunately for theupcomingGuardians of the Galaxygame, Pratt’s portrayal has large rocket boots to fill. One of the game’s latest trailers struck a more serious tone than previous ones, apart from a few quips by Star-Lord. These quips did not land as well as they might have in the MCU, and makes the new game seemingly pale in comparison. By trying too hard to emulate Pratt’s interpretation of the character, the game might fall into the same uncanny valley problem faced by Marvel’sAvengers.
What Wolverine Needs To Avoid
There are several things thatWolverineshould attempt to avoid. It is important to figure out which aspects of Hugh Jackman’s performance are too iconic to rely on.Wolverine’s creative director has said the game will be more mature, which makes sense considering the destroyed bar in the trailer. As such, it would not be surprising to see the game crib some thematic and tonal components from the 2017 blockbusterLogan.
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Borrowing some elements fromLoganwould not necessarily be bad. However, several key parts of the film might not translate brilliantly into game form. AlthoughLogan’s tonal departure from previousX-Menfilms served it well, in an InsomniacWolverinetitle, the combat could grate against the critique of violent cycles present in thethemes ofLogan. This problem would become acute with regards to the main character, as it would feel dissonant to have a dour, broken, and traumatized lead who also felt powerful and satisfying to play during combat.
Another key reason to not try and copyLoganclosely is that the film has already done it perfectly. There is a reason it is regarded as one of thebest superhero movies of all time, especially in theX-Menfilm franchise. Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine is one tempered over 21 years of performances, making it more iconic than Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord.
This is another reason that simply borrowing Wolverine from more matureX-Menfilms would not work. Part of the genius ofHugh Jackman’s performanceinLoganis about subverting a character he had embodied for over two decades, which a new game from Insomniac would not be able to do.
How Insomniac Could Set Wolverine Apart
There are loads of different Wolverine comic book stories the game could use. From the limited information provided so far, it seems likely thatInsomniac’sWolverinewill be like Old Man Logan, who appears in both the movie and throughout numerous comic book stories. A really interesting path that the game and any future sequels could take, however, would be to take advantage of a previous Insomniac property.
Insomniac has confirmed thatWolverinewill be a standalone game. It makes sense, as this would be the character’s first solo game outing in some time. However, any futureWolverinegames could benefit from the presence of Spider-Man. In the comics, whenever the two interact (such as in crossover events likeAvengers vs X-Men), their respective senses of humor make for some great moments that alleviate tension. Moreover, both characters have ample amounts of tragedy in their backstories, which makes them able to relate to each other.
While it’s certainly important to establish this Wolverine as a distinct character before attempting any type of crossover, ifInsomniac’s MCUdid start to take shape, Wolverine and Spiderman would work great together, and this would definitely distinguish the character from his filmic counterpart.
