Marvel’s Wolverine: Insomniac on lessons learned from Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Senior Game Director Ryan Smith tells us how making the Spidey games paved the way for Marvel’s Wolverine

Marvel’s Wolverine was announced back in 2021, at the same PlayStation Showcase where we first heard about Spider-Man 2. It was just a 50-second CGI trailer, but it was enough to set the mood and expectations for Insomniac’s upcoming game.

Now that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is about to launch, the team can start to focus on Wolverine, and the roadmap leading to a gameplay reveal and the full release.

During a chat with Spider-Man 2 Senior Game Director Ryan Smith, we asked him about any particular lessons learned during the making of the three Spider-Man games that would pave the way to Marvel’s Wolverine.

“I can’t speak to Wolverine,” Smith said, before providing an otherwise rather elaborate answer.

“I’ll say for us, this was just another great experience of working with the Insomniac team, who are inspired by each other, and inspired by our partners at Marvel or the team at Sony, and working together to make a great experience. I think that’s really the difference maker for what we do.”

Logan sipping a drink after a bar brawl, from the announcement trailer for Marvel's Wolverine / Sony

Smith also pointed out how the studio is “super excited” to be working with Marvel characters.

“What makes us super excited to come to work is not only that we get to work with great, great heroes and characters like, Peter and Miles and all of the cast of characters that we have in the game, but we get to work together as Insomniacs. And it’s really important, and what helps us create these games,” he added.

“So, that’s the lesson - that our collaboration and teamwork are super important. And I can’t speak to Wolverine, but that was looking back on Spider-Man, too. That was just a tremendous experience with a tremendous team.”

Wolverine’s announcement teaser trailer did not commit to a launch window. However, if we consider Insomniac’s momentum, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it drop an extended deep dive next year. The original Spider-Man game was released in 2018, with a remaster two years later, and then we got Spider-Man: Miles Morales in 2020, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart in 2021, and Spider-Man 2 this week.

A close-up of Wolverine's claws from the upcoming game's teaser trailer / Sony

We’ve heard many players hoping for a rated-R Wolverine game, and the trailer surely leaves a door open on that.

The trailer shows the titular protagonist sitting at the counter of a devastated bar, sipping a drink. The video closes with someone slowly getting back on their feet, and Wolverine ominously pulling out his iconic claws. A pretty solid premise for those keeping their fingers crossed for a more mature game....

Marvel’s Wolverine was said to be “very early in development” in 2021, and the PlayStation Blog described it as a “standalone game directed by Brian Horton (creative director) and Cameron Christian (game director),” who helmed development on Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

According to Insomniac, it’s set to feature an “exciting narrative and cutting-edge gameplay,” and will be “something truly special.”

You can read our Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 review for more details.