Credit: ITMMarvel was not always the powerhouse of the entertainment industry. The juggernaut of comic book publishing at one point went bankrupt in 1996. This forced them to sell the film rights to most of their characters to whichever studio would buy them. 20th Century Studios would strike it big by acquiring the X-Men. This blockbuster franchise turned actor Hugh Jackman into a household name as the fan-favorite mutant, Wolverine. Now, a new Wolverine series will move forward without the legendary actor who has portrayed the surly superhero for over 20 years.
Wolverine was an unexpected success for Marvel Comics. The character was just intended to be an adversary to the Incredible Hulk in his 1974 debut in issue #181. He was then inserted into the X-Men comics the following year. The fan popularity for the mutant mercenary led to a solo comic run in 1982 by comic legends Chris Claremont (“The Phoenix Saga”) and Frank Miller (“300,” “Daredevil: Born Again”).
The character, AKA Logan, became an integral fixture in the X-Men roster. His tragic story was a refreshingly unique and compelling tale. His instant healing ability allowed him to survive and recover from physical ailments, but its side effect of delayed aging required that he outlived all of his loved ones. Apart from his regenerative powers, Logan had enhanced senses, strength, and reflexes. Yet, his most iconic features were his three razor-sharp metal claws that protruded from each hand.
His distinct look and personality made him a standout for fans which carried over to the X-Men cinematic universe in 2000. Even though the franchise comprised of a stellar ensemble cast, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) was often the centerpiece of nearly every film. His portrayal became so synonymous with the stab-happy mutant, that Jackman reprised the role for over two decades. Just as Kevin Conroy was forever associated with being the Batman, Hugh Jackman was pop culture fandom’s Wolverine. Yet, that has finally changed with an upcoming franchise.
Insomniac Games has revitalized their company brand by reimagining another Marvel hero — the Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is expected to be one of if not the top-selling video game of 2023. Pre-orders for the game sold out instantly. The first game, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), alone sold over 33 million copies, which equated to almost $2 billion.
The company has been known to cleverly tease the fanbase with their updates. Insomniac has mastered releasing more and more information to put the puzzle pieces of the project together slowly. This causes a firestorm of speculation, anticipation and intrigue as the series is in development. Their method continues as they have revealed additional information on the highly-anticipated project. Here are the new details:
Marvel’s Wolverine is likely entering full active development now that Spider-Man 2 is launching worldwide🚀
🔥Confirmed:
✅Insomniac Games developers are moving from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and onto #WolverinePS5 development
✅Emotional narrative and cutting-edge gameplay… pic.twitter.com/ARlOOfCFJC
— Rino (@RinoTheBouncer) October 17, 2023
As more and more video games evolve with reality-defying graphics, companies like Insomniac utilize this technology to create narrative-centric games. The company has found success with focusing on the game’s storyline and character development, as well as the necessary immersive gameplay. They have built a reputation of seamlessly transitioning from cinematic cutscenes to live play.
The most recent images of the Wolverine game series seemed to be inspired significantly by Hugh Jackman’s look. So many fans assumed that his tenure would continue as “Weapon X” with this new project. Many critics speculate that Jackman’s new contract with Disney to reprise Wolverine in Deadpool 3 was a prominent reason for the decision to not consider the Oscar-nominated thespian for the role.
Instead, voice acting legend Steve Blum will voice the legendary no-nonsense warrior. Blum has had an illustrious career as he has voiced animated icons such as Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, Zeb Orrelios from Star Wars Rebels and Wolverine in Wolverine and the X-Men. While it is unfortunate that Jackman cannot reprise his classic portrayal for this series, most fans are confident Blum will bring justice to the beloved character outside the Disney-controlled universe.
Are you excited for the new Wolverine game? What do you think of Blum’s casting?