Marvel’s Wolverine made its bloody debut at a recent Sony State of Play event, and while the title is still a ways off from releasing, fans have already begun tearing through the reveal trailer for clues. Despite it being an early look at gameplay, it’s already clear Logan will have plenty of threats to contend with, and while there is a long list of options, the question of whom (or what) will be the main villain of Marvel’s Wolverine remains.
Considering X-Men characters Mystique and Wolverine villain Omega Red make an appearance in the trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine, as does a Sentinel robot, the suspect list for main villain status is long. That said, while each of these characters is or has been villainous before, their inclusion in the trailer raises some immediate suspicions. Given that fact, the main villain is likely none of the above, and the key to that theory lies in one of the game’s enemy factions — the Reavers.
Who are the Reavers in Marvel’s Wolverine?
In the comics, the Reavers are a group of cyborgs dedicated to destroying the X-Men, with Wolverine in particular being a primary target. Although they started as a larger faction, the most famous version of the group in the comics was assembled by villain Donald Pierce. This team consisted of three surviving members of the original faction, three Hellfire Club mercenaries, and Lady Deathstrike.
For further context, Lady Deathstrike is an assassin with a chip on her shoulder and the daughter of Lord Dark Wind, the man who invented the Adamantium bonding process Wolverine endured in the Weapon X project. She underwent a similar bonding process and was then recruited to the Reavers by Donald Pierce, a genocidal cyborg CEO and hater of mutant-kind. Given these named additions to that most notable version of the group, it’s entirely possible that either villain, or both, could be the primary antagonist of Marvel’s Wolverine.
Donald Pierce appeared in the 2017 Wolverine film Logan, played by Boyd Holbrook.
How Lady Deathstrike Could Influence Marvel’s Wolverine
While both of these characters would have a wide-reaching influence on the game, the inclusion of Lady Deathstrike in Marvel’s Wolverine would likely have a tangible impact on the gameplay. If she is in the game as the Reavers leader, it’d likely be in a nemesis-esque role, with one or more dedicated duel-style boss battles across the arc of the game’s narrative. The best example of how Lady Deathstrike might be implemented is the Deathstroke boss battle in Batman: Arkham Origins.
Lady Deathstrike is a trained fighter with an inherent desire to defeat Logan, which is made all the more threatening given that her skills and abilities are very similar to Wolverine’s.
Given that Deathstroke is not only considered one of the best bosses in the Arkham series, but also one of the better bosses in gaming, this would be the most apparent method of including Lady Deathstrike. Marvel’s Wolverine could have both the player and the boss utilizing their respective healing factors, though, which would set the encounter apart and make the battle (or battles) both more engaging and visceral. Dodging her Adamantium talons would be all the more engaging if that mature rating is fully realized in gameplay.
What Donald Pierce Could Do In Marvel’s Wolverine
If Donald Pierce is going to show up as one of the characters in Marvel’s Wolverine, his presence would likely be more of a narrative-changer than a gameplay one. While he might be a cyborg, and a powerful one at that, Pierce’s efficacy as a villain has traditionally stemmed from his brain, not his brawn. In the comics, Pierce is a technical genius and wealthy businessman whose schemes are made all the more dangerous by his bigotry and general arrogance.
With those characteristics in mind, it looks pretty likely that the Reavers in Marvel’s Wolverine are under his command and consist of mercenaries technologically augmented by his designs. It’s still unclear what shape the story of Marvel’s Wolverine might take, but if it’s anything like the comics that likely inspired it, Logan might find himself compelled or propelled to dismantle Donald Pierce’s forces through a personal threat or one to his existence as a mutant. Should that be the case, Pierce’s command of the Reavers would be more likely behind the scenes, with Logan forced to discover his potential plot rather than race against it.
Alternative Antagonist Angles Marvel’s Wolverine Could Take
If the characters already in the trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine represent option one, and these two potential commanders of the Reavers represent option two, option three is genuinely up for grabs at this point in the pre-release hype cycle. Some Wolverine villains worth including are the Silver Samurai, Sabretooth, and, of course, Magneto. Sabretooth might be the most interesting out of the bunch, as, given his history, he’d likely represent a more pared-down revenge tale than Marvel’s Wolverine seems to advertise at the moment.
Given Insomniac’s handling of references and Easter Eggs in Marvel’s Spider-Man and its sequels, it’s doubtful characters as renowned as Magneto go unmentioned in some capacity.
At this point, anything is possible in terms of the big bad in Marvel’s Wolverine. Based on what players have seen so far, the game appears to feature Wolverine hacking and slashing through a globe-spanning adventure, from Canada to Japan and Madripoor. If Marvel’s Wolverine has a rogues gallery that’s as expansive as the trailer makes the game seem, players might even be able to fight all of the above.