Insomniac's Wolverine Should Move Away From Hugh Jackman's Portrayal
Marvel's Wolverine is the latest appearance of the beloved character, but Insomniac Games should keep its distance from Hugh Jackman's movie portrayals. Since Jackman departed the role, fans are without a live-action Wolverine. This intimidating role to fill has likely impacted any X-Men projects Disney is working on and could hamper Marvel's Wolverine's narrative experience.
Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for seventeen years, appearing in nine movies and tying the Guinness World Record for "longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero." His impressive depiction of the character captured the hearts of X-Men fans, cementing Jackman's place as a star of the team. It's unlikely Insomniac Games has managed to secure Hugh Jackman to voice Wolverine the game, and imitating the actor could come across as too inauthentic. Given Jackman's famous interpretation, it'd be in Insomniac's best interest to embrace a new, unique take on the Wolverine character entirely.
By separating itself from Hugh Jackman's legacy, Marvel's Wolverine has a chance to embrace other interpretations of the character. While Hugh Jackman's Wolverine saw unprecedented success with viewers, it didn't expand on all aspects of Logan's character that were shown in the comics. Developments like Wolverine's children were hardly explored and could have contributed to other overarching storylines. Wolverine's unfortunate death in Logan resulted in these possibilities being cut short but could take place in Marvel's Wolverine. Reconciling with a wayward son or developing a meaningful relationship with one of Wolverine's many romances (aside from Jean Grey) could give Marvel's Wolverine's protagonist his own identity that stands apart from the films.
The absence of Wolverine in recent X-Men films has caused a noticeable rift, with Fox and Disney failing to recast the popular character. Given the sizable expectations Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has left on the X-Men fandom, Marvel's Wolverine would benefit with distance from the character's live-action iteration. Not only would this distance allow more creative freedoms for Insomniac, but it could also free Marvel's Wolverine from the film's expectations and connections. X-Men characters like Scott Summers, Storm, or Professor X may appear in-game, and Insomniac should embrace fresh interpretations to keep the game exciting and unique.
Without the restrictions of X-Men's movie canon, Marvel's Wolverine can embrace new universes. The connection between Insomniac Games' Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine opens many doors for the in-game universe. Marvel's Wolverine has already hinted at the appearance of other popular Marvel characters, like the Hulk, while Jackman's films never joined the larger MCU, severely limiting interactions with other famous heroes. Marvel's Wolverine should embrace its unique universe and build a Wolverine fitting of its mature themes.
Many details are still unknown about Marvel's Wolverine game. However, Insomniac Games has a single reveal trailer littered with Easter eggs and hints toward the game's larger plot, characters, and location. Marvel's Wolverine is being developed with a mature tone and will release on PlayStation 5, with no release window announced yet.
Source: Guinness World Records