Marvel’s Wolverine is right around the corner, but gamers who have been hoping they had a chance at playing as Jean Grey are going to be disappointed. Insomniac Games has mentioned in the past that Jean Grey won’t be a playable character in Marvel’s Wolverine, and it looks like the developer is doubling down on this. If Wolverine is truly the only character gamers get to control, then it feels like Insomniac Games has learned the wrong lessons from past criticism.
I loved Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but there were a few critiques that I agree were warranted, especially when it comes to the sequel. The pacing of the story felt off for me, and there are also the notorious MJ stealth missions that were part of both games. I really don’t mind the MJ missions, for the most part, but I do agree that they are some of the weakest points. People buy a Spider-Man game to play as a web-slinging hero, and being forced to step into MJ’s shoes takes players out of the hero fantasy. Keeping Wolverine as the only playable character in Marvel’s Wolverine feels like a response to the MJ critiques, and that’s the wrong takeaway.
It Makes More Sense to Make Jean Grey a Playable Character in Marvel’s Wolverine Than It Does MJ in Spider-Man
Jean Grey is one of the best X-Men characters of all time, and getting to play as her is something that a lot of fans (including me) have been anticipating. Her telekinetic powers have tons of potential when it comes to shaking up the game’s combat, and her telepathy presents a perfect opportunity to add some stealth-based missions to the mix that are much stronger than the MJ missions. Even so, Insomniac has clarified that Jean Grey is not a playable character in Marvel’s Wolverine, which is just an all-around interesting choice considering the potential.
Not everyone loves stealth, but Insomniac Games could have actually used Jean Grey as a spy-like character in the same way they attempted to use MJ in the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. Tasking players with missions that involved reading and controlling NPCs’ minds in order to progress through missions could have given Marvel’s Wolverine‘s gameplay a little bit of 007 First Light spice, and while it’s impossible to avoid criticism no matter what choice a developer makes, I can’t help but feel this approach would have at least garnered far less criticism than the MJ stealth missions in Marvel’s Spider-Man did.
Plus, adding slower scenes can be a great way to break up the intense action moments, so that’s why I don’t totally hate the MJ stealth missions. However, they have to make sense in the broader context, and Jean Grey simply makes more sense as a playable character in a superhero game. She’s incredibly powerful, and her abilities are very different from Wolverine’s, which would only add extra gameplay depth, and potentially open the door for a future Jean Grey game.
Marvel’s Wolverine Could Still Surprise Players With Jean Grey, But Expectations Should Be Kept Low
There is always a possibility that Insomniac Games is bluffing, but that wouldn’t really make much sense. With gamers threatening to boycott Marvel’s Wolverine as a way to protest Sony’s decision to stop making physical games after 2028, the game needs to generate more hype than ever to convince people to play. So, a hypothetical bluff in order to try and leave players surprised would be a big misstep.
Jean Grey isn’t the only major X-Men character who has been confirmed to make an appearance in the game. Iconic mutants like Mystique, Omega Red, and Sabretooth have all been featured in the game’s various trailers.
Only time will tell if there are any other playable characters besides Wolverine. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be Jean Grey, any extra playable character would be pretty exciting. All the Marvel’s Wolverine details and footage that Insomniac has shared so far looks great, but a Wolverine-only experience will be a little bit disappointing. Regardless, Marvel’s Wolverine is still one of the coolest looking games of the year, and it hopefully lives up to the hype once it launches in September.
- Released
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September 15, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
