Wolverine Just Stole Spider-Man's Thunder, Two Weeks Before Brand New Day

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for X-Men '97 season 2

Wolverine just stole Spider-Man's thunder in the coolest way. With only two weeks to go until the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel Studios' most recent animated project has seen Logan striking some pretty awesome poses in X-Men '97 season 2 that should look pretty familiar to longtime comic book fans, while also bringing to mind an exciting trend where about to see with the MCU's Webslinger on the big screen.

Judging by the trailers alone, Marvel Studios and Sony have packed Spider-Man: Brand New Day with all kinds of visual callbacks, specifically recreations of some of Spider-Man's most famous and well-known comic covers. The movie hasn't even come out yet, and the footage we already have is proof enough that the new movie will serve as a major celebration of Spider-Man's history on the page just as much as his epic legacy on-screen as Tom Holland's Webslinger enters a new era of his superhero career.

However, we have to acknowledge that X-Men '97 season 2 is currently killing it in the comic cover recreation arena, and Wolverine has particularly been dominating since 2024. That said, Logan may soon be dethroned by Spider-Man come the end of July.

Wolverine Has Already Been Recreating Comic Covers (Before Spider-Man)

The last two episodes of X-Men '97 season 2 alone have been absolutely awesome for longtime fans of Wolverine in the comics. Rather than simply referencing famous comic moments, the animated series has also recreated more than one iconic cover with some impressive accuracy.

The standout is Frank Miller's legendary Wolverine #1 cover from 1982. After reclaiming his adamantium claws at the Weapon X facility in X-Men '97 season 2 episode 5, Logan flashes the same grin and beckons with his finger as a perfect recreation, a fantastic homage to one of Wolverine's most defining and well-known images.

Likewise, the previous episode essentially recreated the cover of Uncanny X-Men #268 when Wolverine meets with Captain America and Black Widow, looking almost exactly like the classic issue (particularly with Black Widow's classic gray costume and short hair).

X-Men '97 season 2, episode 5 also paid tribute to Uncanny X-Men #234, after Logan gets infected by the alien Brood in another instantly recognizable visual, being in the exact same pose.

This has quietly become something of a Wolverine tradition. Deadpool & Wolverine famously recreated several classic comic covers during its multiversal variant montage, including The Incredible Hulk #340 with Hulk reflected in Wolverine's claws and Uncanny X-Men #251, featuring Logan crucified on the giant X. Hugh Jackman even recreated Frank Miller's famous Wolverine #1 cover during promotional material for the film itself. It's been a fantastic way to celebrate nearly fifty years of Wolverine comics.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Going To Have Some Awesome Homages

As impressive as Wolverine's recent streak has been across projects, Spider-Man: Brand New Day still looks poised to become one of Marvel Studios' biggest celebrations of comic book artwork ever.

The trailers alone have revealed an incredible number of direct homages to Amazing Fantasy #15, the cover that introduced Spider-Man to the world with his very first issue. Other shots closely resemble The Amazing Spider-Man #134, The Amazing Spider-Man #345, The Amazing Spider-Man #129, and even The New Avengers #27 with The Had.

That's an impressive lineup before audiences have even seen the full movie. As such, there's good reason to believe Marvel and Sony are saving even more visual references for opening weekend, rewarding fans who have followed Spider-Man's adventures across more than six decades of comics.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases July 31st from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.