Marvel's Wolverine Leaked Japan Location Needs to Go All-Out with Villains

Summary

Theoretically, developer Insomniac has a lot more creative freedom withMarvel’s Wolverinethan it did withSpider-Manback in 2018. Canonically born in the late 19th century,the character of Wolverinehas been alive for several centuries in the comics, with his regenerative powers extending his life far beyond a normal human’s. With this in mind, Insomniac could set its upcoming Wolverine game essentially whenever and wherever it wants.

Wolverine is mostly associated with the 1990s and 2000s, appearing alongside the X-Men in their various adventures around the world, and it’s this time frame that seems most likely forMarvel’s Wolverine. But Wolverine has been around a lot longer than the X-Men, and in most comic continuities, he’s around long after they’re gone as well. While Insomniac will probably want to play things safe withWolverine’s time setting, there are still some ways it could spice up the mutant’s first AAA solo outing, and past leaks indicate it might already be doing just that.

Marvel’s Wolverine Tag Page Cover Art

A Japan Setting for Marvel’s Wolverine Has a Lot of Inspiration to Draw From

Wolverine’s Leaked Japan Setting Explained

Back in December of last year,Insomniac Games was the subject of a major hack. Along with sensitive personal details of Insomniac employees, this hack resulted in several unannounced projects coming to light and a wealth of concept art and early-build footage leaking forMarvel’s Wolverine. These leaks included a potential cast list for the game, seemingly confirming the game’s roster of mutants in the process, and a list of locations that could be present in the final version of the game. Right alongside locations like Madripoor, Alaska, and Canada was Japan.

Wolverine Has Strong Comic Book Ties to Japan

While Wolverine has been at the heart of countless excellent comic book runs over the last few decades, few have been quite as character-defining as Chris Claremont andFrank Miller’sWolverinerunthat ran through the early 1980s. In the character’s first proper solo run, Wolverine ventures out to Japan where he meets and subsequently falls in love with Mariko Yashida, the heiress of a Yakuza family clan. This run sees Wolverine facing off against the Yakuza and The Hand, as well as several long-standing villains, some of whom could appear inMarvel’s Wolverine.

First appearing inKitty Pryde and Wolverine, a sort of spiritual successor to the originalWolverinerun also written by Chris Claremont, Ogun is one of Wolverine’s most well-known foes from his travels to Japan. A mutant with mind-controlling powers, Ogun was originally a mentor figure for Wolverine, teaching the hero various martial arts in the 1940s. But when Wolverine goes in search of the missing Kitty Pryde, he finds that Ogun has mind-controlled her in an attempt to make her a deadly assassin for the Yakuza.

A villain with an even longer legacy,the Silver Samuraiwas first introduced as a Daredevil adversary in 1974, though he’s more often associated with Wolverine. In most comic continuities, the Silver Samurai is the half-brother of Mariko Yashida, which gives the villain a strong personal connection to Wolverine right off the bat. The Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.-created Gorgon is another villain thatMarvel’s Wolverinecould use in its leaked Japan setting, being a powerful member of both The Hand and Hydra. Lady Deathstrike would be another obvious pick, with her main motivation often being to hunt Wolverine down to prove herself.