Insomniac has made a name for itself the last few years with its sensational take on Marvel’s popular superhero Spider-Man. BothMarvel’s Spider-ManandMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralesfound favor with critics and fans alike. Now, not willing to rest on its laurels, the studio has shifted its efforts to adapt another popular character inMarvel’s Wolverine, first announced in late 2021 during aPlayStation showcase.
Little is known about the project, and with only a brief teaser trailer forMarvel’s Wolverineto go off of, fans will have to wait a while longer to learn more. Considering the rich comic book history of the character, with decades of source material to pull from, Insomniac has no shortage of content to use for the narrative of its upcoming game. When it comes to assembling said narrative however, the creative team should look to another popular PlayStation IP as a source of inspiration.
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The Last of Us - Chronicling a Year-Long Journey
At this point, Naughty Dog’s sweeping 2013 epicThe Last of Usneeds no introduction. Containing one of the most memorable, emotional stories in gaming history, it has cemented itself as one of thetop tier PlayStation exclusivesand a must-play for fans of action-adventure titles. A large part of the praise for the storyline can be attributed to how it’s presented to the player, specifically in terms of pacing. The tale of Joel and Ellie’s harrowing journey across a dystopian United States takes place over the course of a year, with pivotal moments being shown through the four seasons.
In between each season, the game clearly titles the time jump (from Summer to Fall, for example) indicating that time has passed between each significant event. This works tremendously, as it helps make the narrative feel larger and more grand in scope. While players won’t necessarily see every single moment thatJoel and Ellieexperience, it isn’t necessary, as the gaps in time subconsciously convey how much these characters have gone through, and that dramatic weight is felt in subsequent sequences.
Marvel’s Wolverine - Using Logan’s Extended Lifespan As a Storytelling Device
In the pages of Marvel comic books, Wolverine has a tragic backstory that spans not just years, but well over a century. The reason for this, is that his mutant ability is that of augmented healing, which affects the cells in his body, therefore extending his total lifespan. Wolverine has lived through many of the world’s greatest conflicts, technological changes, and unfortunately seen many loved ones pass away while he continues to live on. These are all elements which have been explored in the manyX-Menfilms starring Hugh Jackman.
It would be incredibly interesting and unique to seeMarvel’s Wolverinetell a storyline that takes place over a stretch of one hundred years or more. Taking a page from theplot structure ofThe Last of Us, jumping across many pivotal moments in human history, while showing how these times change Wolverine as a character could open the door for several story and emotional beats. Furthermore, these time jumps can enable more settings and changes in technology, giving the game a greater sense of variety as a whole.
With Insomniac still finishingdevelopment onMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, it may be a while before any new information is provided forMarvel’s Wolverine. Still, there are limitless creative avenues and narrative possibilities that a character with as rich of a fictional biography as Wolverine can bring to the table. If the studio’s stellar work on a certain wall crawler is anything to go by, hopefully excellent things are in store for the feral mutant in the PS5’s future.
