Marvel's Wolverine is just around the corner, but players who have been hoping they had a chance to play as Jean Gray will be disappointed. Insomniac Games has previously mentioned that Jean Gray will not be a playable character in Marvel's Wolverineand it looks like the developer is doubling down on this. If Wolverine is truly the only character players 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 2but there was some criticism that I agree was justified, especially when it comes to the sequel. The pacing of the story felt off to me, and there are also the infamous MJ stealth missions that were a part of both games. I really don't mind the MJ missions, for the most part, but I agree they are some of the weakest points. People buy one 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 the Marvel's Wolverine feels like a response to the MJ criticism, and that's the wrong takeaway.
It makes more sense to make Jean Gray a playable character in Marvel's Wolverine than it does MJ in Spider-Man
Jean Gray is one of the best X-Men characters of all time, and getting to play as her is something that many fans (myself included) have been waiting for. Her telekinetic powers have tons of potential to shake up the game's combat, and her telepathy provides a perfect opportunity to add some stealth-based missions to the mix that are much stronger than the MJ missions. Despite that, Insomniac has clarified that Jean Gray is not a playable character in Marvel's Wolverinewhich is just a generally interesting choice given the potential.
Not everyone loves stealth, but Insomniac Games could have actually used Jean Gray as a spy-like character in the same way they tried to use MJ in Marvel's Spider-Man game. Giving players quests that involved reading and controlling the minds of NPCs to progress through the quests could have provided Marvel's Wolverines gameplay 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 that this approach would have at least received far less criticism than the MJ stealth missions in Marvel's Spider-Man did.
Also, adding slower scenes can be a good way to break up the intense action moments, so that's why I don't completely hate the MJ stealth missions. However, they have to make sense in the larger context, and Jean Gray simply makes more sense as a playable character in a superhero game. She is incredibly powerful and her abilities are very different from Wolverines, which would only add extra gameplay depth and potentially open the door for a future Jean Gray game.
Marvel's Wolverine could still surprise gamers with Jean Grey, but expectations should be kept low
There's always the possibility that Insomniac Games is bluffing, but that wouldn't really make much sense. With players 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 scam to try to leave players surprised would be a huge mistake.
Jean Gray is not the only major X-Men character that has been confirmed to make an appearance in the game. Iconic mutants such as 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 additional playable character would be pretty exciting. All Marvel's Wolverine The details and images that Insomniac has shared so far look good, but a Wolverine experience will be a bit of a letdown. Regardless, Marvel's Wolverine is still one of the best-looking games of the year, and hopefully it lives up to the hype when 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
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
