Sony delivered a huge blow to the competition when it was revealed that Spider-Man would be a PlayStation exclusive character in Marvel's Avengers. In order to counter this, Microsoft needs to bring out the big guns and land Wolverine from the X-Men as an exclusive character for the PC and Xbox versions of Marvel's Avengers, as he is probably the closest Marvel character in terms of fame from the ones who aren't already in the game.
Marvel's Avengers is primed to be one of the biggest games of 2020 and Sony is all-in with promoting the title. Marvel's Avengers will be free on PS5 to those who already purchased it on PS4, making it one of the few games that are using this cross-gen promotion on Sony's upcoming system. Crystal Dynamics has revealed that Marvel's Avengers will receive free content after launch, which will include new characters and missions. Hawkeye was the first character to be announced, but Sony quickly stole Clint Barton's thunder when it revealed that Spider-Man was going to be an exclusive character in the PlayStation versions of the game.
The inclusion of Spider-Man in the PlayStation versions of Marvel's Avengers is a huge reason to go with the Sony iterations of the game, as Spider-Man is easily one of the most popular Marvel heroes. If Microsoft is going to compete, then it needs to bring a similar character to their version of the game who is just as beloved by the fans, and the closest available character has to be Wolverine from the X-Men.
Why Wolverine Is A Perfect Fit For Marvel's Avengers
Wolverine is easily the most popular member of the X-Men, and they were the most popular Marvel team in the decades before the MCU began. The popularity of Wolverine was such that he ended up becoming the focus of most of the X-Men movies developed by Fox, including starring in several solo films. He qualifies as being a member of the Avengers in the comics, as he was one of the founding members of the New Avengers, where he fought alongside Spider-Man. Wolverine has appeared in a number of Marvel crossover games in the past, and the Disney/Fox acquisition means that there is nothing standing in the way of his inclusion in Marvel's Avengers. Wolverine would be an amazing addition to the roster of Marvel's Avengers, and players can easily imagine him slashing through hordes of enemies with his claws.
Spider-Man's exclusivity in Marvel's Avengers is a bad thing if the other versions of the game don't have exclusive content to match. The original Avengers line-up from the MCU is already present in Marvel's Avengers, so Wolverine is the next best thing as an addition for Microsoft or Google versions of the game. If the PC, Stadia, or Xbox versions of the game don't have their own heroes, then it's going to be a major blow to their sales figures. Wolverine is one of the few characters who can help make the other versions of Marvel's Avengers compete with the allure of Spider-Man.
Marvel's Avengers is available on September 4th, 2020 on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.