The upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine may open the door to a future gaming team-up between the wise-cracking web-slinger and the angst-ridden mutant of comic book and movie fame, but an ultimately undeveloped sequel to the often-forgotten Spider-Man: Web of Shadows offers a glimpse into the potential of such a crossover. Spider-Man and Wolverine have crossed paths in plenty of Marvel-based video games in the past, with the two joining forces on many occasions. In addition to their expected appearances in larger ensemble games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance and the X-Men-fronted Marvel Vs. Capcom series, Logan has met Spidey in several of the webhead’s solo outings, be it showing up to aid the hero alongside his fellow mutants in the 1994 side-scroller Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge or popping in for a brief-but-memorable boss battle against Venom in 2005’s Ultimate Spider-Man.
One of the most notable Spider-Man video games to feature Wolverine in a prominent role was 2008’s Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, which saw Logan and several other Marvel heroes unite to help thwart a symbiote invasion. Wolverine finds himself at odds with Spidey many times throughout Web of Shadows due to Peter being infected with the symbiote once again, and this leads to a brutal boss battle against Logan when the X-Man is taken over by a Symbiote himself. Web of Shadows isn't one of Spider-Man's best Marvel games, but its aerial and wall-crawling combat was so well-regarded that some would still like to see it implemented in a future game like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. After the release of Web of Shadows, Activision and developer Shaba Games quickly started planning an entire sequel to build on these mechanics, one that would have also featured Wolverine in an even bigger role alongside the titular Webhead.
YouTuber Matt McMuscles recently discussed several unreleased Spider-Man games as part of his Spidey-centric Mediocre Spider-Matt series, including a planned sequel for Web of Shadows that never came to fruition. Titled as either Spider-Man: Classic or Spider-Man: Chronicles, this follow-up would have scaled back its predecessor's open-world approach in favor of a more focused level-based design that would put a strong emphasis on Spider-Man: Web of Shadows’ combat. The story was envisioned as an anthology of Spider-Man’s greatest battles against some of his most infamous villains, with each mission revolving around a particular foe. The twist was that Wolverine would return as a playable character to fight alongside Spidey, though it isn’t clear if this would have been implemented in the form of a split-screen multiplayer mode or if a solo player would alternate between the two heroes. However, the project was canceled before it could even begin, as Shaba Games was shut down in mid-2009 before Spider-Man: Classic was officially announced. The idea of Spider-Man taking on various supervillains in designated levels was eventually pitched to Beenox, who refined the concept into 2010’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which inspired the Spider-Verse concept seen in numerous comics since.
Canceled Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows Sequel Had Playable Wolverine
Marvel’s Spider-Man developer Insomniac sent shockwaves throughout the superhero gaming fandom by announcing two exciting new installments of its growing Marvel video game universe in 2021. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will pick up where Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales left off and see Peter and Miles join forces against villains like Venom and Kraven the Hunter. Marvel’s Wolverine, conversely, teased a gritter and more mature tone as players unleash Logan's adamantium claws in a story that may possibly be set in Madripoor.
Both of these projects are exciting enough on their own for shared Marvel and video game fans, but Insomniac would later sweeten the pot by revealing that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine will take place in a shared Marvel PlayStation universe, finally giving players a united Marvel gaming universe in a similar vein to the comics. It remains to be seen how deeply these two titles will intersect. However, given the array of references in the first Marvel's Spider-Man to the wider Marvel mythos, it feels like a natural trajectory if they were.
Marvel's Spider-Man & Wolverine Team-Up Game Needs To Happen
However, while the idea of such a shared Marvel gaming universe is an exciting prospect, some are hesitant to suggest that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine should connect. While it has been said that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will have a much darker plot than Insomniac’s previous two Spider-Man titles, most fans expect the game to still contain the humor and lighter moments that have endeared the PlayStation-exclusive take on Spidey and his shared universe to fans of all stripes. Meanwhile, the writers of Marvel’s Wolverine have cited brutal games like Spec Ops: The Line and The Last of Us as possible influences for their latest project, and even the Marvel’s Wolverine game reveal trailer that was shown off during last September’s PlayStation Showcase livestream featured Logan surrounded by dead bodies in a run-down bar, hinting that the game will be much grimmer than what mainstream gaming audiences are used to from a Marvel-licensed title - even one staring a character as violent as Wolverine.
On the other hand, many Marvel fans have imagined a connected gaming continuity with heroes frequently interacting with each other since the start of the MCU - a dream that has been left unfulfilled despite many opportunities to bring AAA Marvel games together over the past few years. During the run-up to Marvel’s Avengers, developer Crystal Dynamics stated that its version of the Marvel Universe would remain separate from the one depicted in Insomniac’s games - which was later confirmed when Marvel’s Avengers introduced its own version of Spider-Man as a PlayStation-exclusive DLC character. With both Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine being developed by the same studio - especially one of Insomniac's proven caliber - now could be the time for a Marvel gaming team-up.
Spider-Man and Wolverine have also joined forces in comics and cartoons in the past, with the contrast between the two heroes’ personalities and approaches to crime-fighting making for some memorable and entertaining stories. While there hasn’t yet been a title specifically dedicated to the unlikely partnership of Spidey and Logan, Insomniac’s upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine could open the door for one thanks to their connected universe - and the ultimately unproduced Spider-Man: Web of Shadows sequel that would have put the spotlight on the duo could serve as an interesting blueprint for such a crossover title.
Source: Matt McMuscles/YouTube