Insomniac Games has revealed a fresh look at Liam McIntyre as Marvel’s Wolverine‘s titular anti-hero, and the character’s design has already drawn plenty of criticism from people on the internet. Marvel’s Wolverine has been anticipated for a long time, but Logan’s resemblance to the actor who portrays him has rubbed some people the wrong way. Insomniac’s design still looks very much like Logan, so it’s surprising that there has been so much backlash, but it’s simply another example of how hard it is to make everyone happy.
Over the years, there have been debates among some gamers about whether video game characters should resemble the voice actors who portray them or not. Ultimately, the decision is up to the developer. It’s a creative choice that takes a lot of careful consideration before making a final decision, and Insomniac concluded that Liam McIntyre’s real-life appearance was the right fit for Marvel’s Wolverine‘s Logan. That hasn’t stopped people from being upset, though.
Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine Character Design Ignites Backlash Online
A fresh look at the character was showcased at Comic Con, and the images have been making the rounds on social media. Granted, the response hasn’t been completely negative. However, the negative comments have definitely been flowing ever since the new images dropped. This isn’t the first Marvel’s Wolverine controversy. Anger over Sony’s move away from physical discs has many gamers ready to boycott the game in order to send a message, but Logan’s character design is the first major backlash to be directed at the game’s actual content.
A few of the comments that have expressed unhappiness about Wolverine’s appearance state, “Insomniac’s face models are always weird looking” and “That ain’t Wolverine.” I understand that taste is subjective, but it’s confusing to see someone claim that he doesn’t look like Wolverine when nearly every piece of Marvel’s Wolverine footage has showcased a character that is filled with rage, has bushy sideburns, and has claws ripping through his knuckles.
What’s so frustrating about this is that if Insomniac Games opted for a different design that didn’t look like Liam McIntyre, there would also be people angry that the character doesn’t resemble the voice actor. It’s a lose/lose situation for the developer. There’s also the fact that Hugh Jackman as Wolverine has given a lot of people a preconceived idea about how the character’s face should look. Jackman and McIntyre look nothing alike, but they both still have physical qualities that make for a strong Logan design. It’s simply a fresh interpretation, and the main thing that matters at the end of the day is McIntyre’s performance.
Modeling characters after the actors who portray them has become far more common in gaming within recent years. A few of the most notable games to use actors as face models are Death Stranding, Detroit: Become Human, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and Ghost of Yotei.
Making a snap judgment from a picture is easy. The game isn’t even out yet, so there’s no way to know if McIntyre’s portrayal does the character justice. I’m choosing to remain optimistic about his portrayal. What Insomniac has revealed of Marvel’s Wolverine‘s gameplay looks wonderfully intense and bloody, confirmed cameos from characters like Jean Grey and Sabretooth are exciting, and expanding the developer’s take on the Marvel universe is something worth celebrating.
It’s okay to not like how a character looks, but it doesn’t really matter anyway when Wolverine is going to be wearing his suit through at least half the game. Also, unless it’s during a cutscene, players will be seeing the back of his head, since the game is in third-person. Voicing disdain for Wolverine’s appearance on social media is unlikely to inspire a Sonic movie redesign moment when the game has taken years to develop and is only a couple of months away from its release.
This Isn’t Insomniac’s First Rodeo When It Comes to Character Design Backlash
Insomniac has been in a similar situation before, but it’s not because the characters looked like the voice actors who portrayed them. The developer made the controversial decision to change Peter Parker’s look in Marvel’s Spider-Man when the PS5 port was released. Insomniac’s reasoning was that the new face model was a better fit for voice actor Yuri Lowenthal’s face capture, but a lot of fans who were fond of the original Peter Parker design were pretty upset about the unexpected change.
Making a snap judgment from a picture is easy. The game isn’t even out yet, so there’s no way to know if McIntyre’s portrayal does the character justice.
There is also the notorious MJ redesign that sparked plenty of its own backlash when Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was revealed. The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 MJ design controversy ignited plenty of debate among fans, and it looks like Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t going to be the game that puts an end to this particular Insomniac critique. Despite the backlash from some gamers, both Marvel’s Spider-Man and its sequel proved to be huge hits for Insomniac, and a third game is expected to be in the pipeline after Marvel’s Wolverine makes its long-awaited debut.
Liam McIntyre is far from the only voice actor that has received backlash over being used as a game character’s face model. When Naughty Dog first revealed Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the trailer’s comments had to be turned off on YouTube because there was such an intense flood of people angry that main actor Tati Gabrielle was a bald woman. Naughty Dog also faced backlash over The Last of Us 2‘s Abby being so muscular.
A character’s design isn’t always going to be met with positive feedback at first. Whether developers decide to make a character look like their voice actor or use a completely unique design, there will always be someone who is unhappy with the end result. There is nothing wrong with having an opinion, but passionate social media posts are more like shouting into a void instead of offering actual constructive criticism. Insomniac felt like Liam McIntyre’s likeness was the right move for Logan’s design, and I’m going to let his performance speak for itself when I play the game.
- 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
