Marvel’s Wolverine: Important Characters Mentioned and Referenced in the Game

This week brought the release of Marvel’s Wolverine—a new game from Insomniac Games, which, as expected, is set in the same universe as the Marvel’s Spider-Man series. It therefore came as no surprise to anyone that the game features a considerable number of references to various characters and other nods to Marvel comics.

Earlier this summer, the studio confirmed Spider-Man will not appear in Marvel’s Wolverine, but that doesn’t mean the game contains no references to the character or related content, let alone lays the groundwork for the appearance of various heroes and villains in future Marvel games. Here you’ll learn about the most important characters mentioned in Marvel’s Wolverine.

Daredevil

As we recall, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 confirmed the law firm Nelson & Murdock features in Insomniac’s universe—which means that Daredevil, Matt Murdock’s alter ego, must also exist somewhere. And Marvel’s Wolverine confirms this.

During a conversation with Logan and Jean Grey, Shiro—a character who collects artifacts belonging to The Hand—states she has received information from 'some lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen'—which is a direct reference to Daredevil. This mention seems logical, given that The Hand is one of Wolverine’s enemies. As the character appears to be based in New York, his presence in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 seems highly likely.

Cyclops

Cyclops is one of the most famous X-Men. He does not appear directly in the game, but there are a few interesting references. For instance, the protective goggles in the workshop resemble an early prototype of his iconic visor, from which laser beams are emitted. But far more interesting is the scene where Logan and Jean Grey discover a mutant in the database whose power lies in optic blasts and who is hiding in Anchorage. In the comics, Cyclops did indeed live in that city, where he met Madelyne Pryor and raised his son, Cable.

J. Jonah Jameson

Another link to the Spider-Man universe is the mention of J. Jonah Jameson and The Daily Bugle newspaper. The newspaper can be spotted in one of the missions, while J. Jonah Jameson’s autobiography, seen amongst a pile of books, bears the title 'Probably the most important autobiography of all time.'

Gambit

It would be unnatural to assume that Marvel’s Wolverine contains no references or mentions of other mutants as well as future members of the X-Men. One such character is Gambit. In the Princess Bar office, you can find an Ace of Spades card bearing the name Remy LeBeau—Gambit's real name in the Marvel comics.

Angel

A similar reference is made to Angel—another mutant and member of the X-Men in the comics and various adaptations. In the casino mission, near the bar, you can see a reservation made specifically for Warren Worthington III—that’s the character’s name.

Beast

Yet another instance where Insomniac lays the groundwork for the future introduction of key characters from the X-Men lore is the moment when Logan finds himself in the laboratory of Bolivar Trask, the antagonist in Marvel's Wolverine. Specifically, we see research on the X-gene authored by Henry “Hank” McCoy—better known as Beast. It confirms that the character is already a renowned scientist and may not have revealed his alter ego yet.

William Stryker

Another intriguing book that can be found in one of the missions is titled My War, written by William Stryker. He is one of the most famous X-Men villains in the comics, and this finding confirms he is also present in the game world and, like his comic book counterpart, is likely working against the mutants.

Elektra

Electra is another character associated with the above-mentioned Daredevil and The Hand. She does not appear or get mentioned in Marvel's Wolverine, but her signature sai daggers can be seen in one of the levels set in Japan. It is quite possible that Electra also exists in this universe.

The Dazzler

Another well-known mutant is featured on wall posters. It’s The Dazzler, which can be seen in Madripoor.

Marvel's Wolverine also features several "Easter eggs" in the form of the company names related to various characters in the Marvel Universe, including those that appeared in the Marvel's Spider-Man games. These include Silver Sable International, the Fisk Building, the Alchemax Building, Roxxon Power, as well as Alchemax, Hammer Industries, etc.

As for references directly to Spider-Man, there is no explicit mention of Peter Parker or his alter ego in the game, but there is a book titled Along Came a Spider—a reference to the comic book in which Spider-Man battles Venom. You can also see a book titled Pizza Time: A Pizza Cook book—which is an obvious reference to Sam Raimi’s film Spider-Man 2.

As expected, Marvel's Wolverine features a number of different elements that lay the groundwork for future Insomniac games—including both Marvel's Spider-Man 3 and a potential sequel to Logan's adventure, as well as a future crossover centered on the X-Men.

Marvel's Wolverine currently has a critics' score of 77 on Metacritic and 79 on OpenCritic, with 67% of critics recommending the game. The title also ranks second on the list of PlayStation Studios' lowest-rated games, trailing only Concord. Despite initially mixed reviews from players, Marvel's Wolverine has a fairly high rating on the PS Store. The game is available exclusively for PlayStation 5.