Hopes are sky high for Marvel's Wolverine and if it's well-received by fans, then it will hopefully lead to a revival of X-Men video games. The X-Men were once Marvel's most popular property, matched only by Spider-Man, but ownership issues led to Disney pushing the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the X-Men were owned by Fox and were part of their own movie universe. During this period of time, the X-Men remained a key part of the comics, but the Avengers were pushed everywhere else, including the world of video games.
The X-Men have remained a part of the Marvel video games with ensemble casts, most recently with X-Men-themed decks in Marvel Snap. The last X-Men-focused game was Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past, which launched on mobile phones in 2014, which means it has been almost ten years since a proper X-Men game was released. This may soon change, as Marvel's Wolverine is in development for the PS5, and it may lead to the whole team getting their own game.
The X-Men Haven't Had A Dedicated Video Game In Nearly A Decade
Marvel's Wolverine is being developed by Insomniac Games, which is the studio behind Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This is an incredible pedigree for a new superhero game to have and the fact that Wolverine and Spider-Man are very different characters in terms of abilities and fighting style hasn't incited much worry from the fans, considering the Marvel's Spider-Man games were great. Marvel's Wolverine has a strong chance of being an amazing game, and it could drag the X-Men back into the gaming sphere.
The bulk of the Marvel video games have been ensemble pieces, but it's still the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies who get the most attention, including the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. There is definitely a sense of Marvel fatigue going on with that line-up of characters, while the X-Men universe remains untapped. The X-Men have a massive roster of iconic characters, a number of amazing villains and a ton of classic storylines to adapt, yet the team has been sitting on the sidelines for years.
Marvel's Wolverine might lead to an X-Men comeback, but there's also the fact that Disney has acquired the rights to the X-Men franchise to consider. When the X-Men eventually enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then they'll get the superstar push that will lead to them starring in more video games. Marvel's Wolverine should help this along, but the rise of Marvel's mutants on the big screen is what will be the real catalyst for their return to the world of gaming.