Marvel’s New Wolverine Story Has Great MCU Potential For The X-Men

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Hugh Jackman's Logan wears his comic-accurate yellow and blue mask in Deadpool & Wolverine

Published Jun 15, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Marvel's Wolverine is one of the most anticipated single-player superhero games of all time, and is set to release in just a few months. However, a new look at Insomniac's upcoming game may have a solid blueprint for future stories in the MCU.

Looking darker and more mature than its Spider-Man games set in the same universe, Insomniac's Wolverine game promises to have a pretty unique story as it expands the lore of Earth-1408 with the introduction of mutants like Logan, Jean Grey, and more. However, one of the most interesting reveals has less to do with Wolverine and more to do with the status quo of the X-Men in this reality.

As the MCU prepares to introduce more mutants to its main reality of Earth-616 following Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel's Wolverine may be showing an exciting way for the franchise to establish the X-Men without creating major continuity headaches.

In Insomniac's Marvel Universe, The X-Men Don't Exist (Yet)

Jean Grey in Marvel's Wolverine, her hands and eyes growing bright purple as she uses her telekinetic powers.

One of the most recent details revealed about Marvel's Wolverine is the apparent absence of the X-Men. It's not that they won't be featured in the upcoming game; they don't exist in Insomniac's Marvel Universe at all (at least not yet).

While the game will naturally keep its focus centered on Wolverine, the story will also revolve around a group Logan works with known as Team X. Described as a collection of mutant mercenaries, the organization appears focused on protecting fellow mutants, with the existence of mutantkind still being a secret and largely hidden from the public.

Overall, this is a pretty surprising status quo reveal, especially with Marvel's Wolverine sharing the same continuity as Insomniac's Spider-Man games, which have confirmed the existence of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, The Defenders, and more heroes. Nevertheless, it seems as though the X-Men aren't a thing, and the same likely goes for Xavier's School for the Gifted. However, nothing says the X-Men can't be formed in the future.

While it may seem like a strange choice, a version of the Marvel Universe full of heroes sans X-Men does sound an awful lot like the MCU.

Marvel's Wolverine Offers A Pretty Fascinating Blueprint For The MCU

While it's been confirmed that Marvel Studios intends to introduce more mutants to the MCU following Secret Wars, a big question will be where they've been all the time during the events of the previous Infinity and Multiverse Sagas. It'd certainly be difficult to explain where the X-Men have been during all the MCU's past crises. Instead, the cleanest alternative may be to do something along the lines of Marvel's Wolverine, with the X-Men having not yet formed.

The MCU could reveal that the X-Men/Xavier School is only just being created, perhaps in direct response to a growing number of mutants being born. Audiences could then see Professor Xavier recruiting his first students and building the team of mutants from the ground up. At the same time, perhaps individual mutants could have been active before the X-Men's creation, like Wolverine and/or Jean Grey in the upcoming Insomniac game.

Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”

🐺 Wolverine The Loner

🧠 Professor X The Visionary

🧲 Magneto The Survivor

ACTIVATE CEREBRO →

Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?

ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever

Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?

AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices

A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?

AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails

A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?

APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause

A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?

AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes

What’s your biggest flaw?

AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong

Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?

AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation

What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?

ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything

REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY →

Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity

🐺

Wolverine (Logan)

“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.

Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed

🧠

Professor X (Charles Xavier)

“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.

Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful

🧲

Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)

“Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.

Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding

↻ PLAY AGAIN

There's a solid chance Marvel is already moving in that direction. After all, there's been persistent speculation surrounding Sadie Sink's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and that she's secretly playing Jean Grey. If Sink is ultimately revealed to be Jean, it'd be another prime example of Marvel Studios laying some groundwork with individual mutant characters in the MCU before launching a dedicated X-Men project (other examples include Ms. Marvel being a mutant rather than an Inhuman, King Namor, and She-Hulk's Mr. Immortal).

Nevertheless, these new story details for Marvel's Wolverine suggest that audiences may not need the X-Men right off the bat for mutant stories to work. Delaying the team's formation may even make their eventual debut even more exciting.

Marvel's Wolverine releases September 15th from Insomniac Games.