A game that hasn't even launched yet, reduced to memes based on a handful of trailers, with fans doing visual comparisons to the cartoon Ben 10: Protector of Earth—that's the situation Marvel's Wolverine has found itself in on social media these past few weeks. And the one breaking the silence to respond isn't the game director—it's James Stevenson, Insomniac Games' Director of Community and Marketing.
Stevenson wrote on X: "The way this algorithm insanely amplifies and forces negativity onto you has made me reconsider the advice I've always given developers to go look, to go post. It's a relentless onslaught, and I genuinely don't believe it's good for anyone's mental health, nor do I think it reflects reality." While he didn't name specific attackers, the timing clearly points to recent criticism surrounding the game's visuals and narrative.
According to NME, some players have questioned similarities between the game's visual style and the Ben 10 cartoon, while others have found the story beats derivative, giving off déjà vu vibes reminiscent of several major AAA titles. A post from social media account @kaiser_drago on August 14 ran with this joke, drawing the connection between Insomniac and Ben 10, and it became one of the sparks that ignited this wave of discussion.
Marvel's Wolverine is set to launch on PlayStation 5 on September 15, with Australian actor Liam McIntyre taking on the character long defined on the big screen by Hugh Jackman. The development team behind it is the same one that crafted 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man and its 2023 sequel, with this project first revealed back in 2021.
Per the official description, Wolverine will be on the run across Japan, North America, and the fictional city of Madripoor, encountering comic-familiar villains Omega Red and Mystique along the way. The official copy reads: "Become a living weapon. As he hunts for answers about his past, Wolverine will stop at nothing—unleashing brutal claw combat, savage rage, and ruthless resolve—to cut through the mystery and reclaim who he once was." The Insomniac dev team has previously stated that the tone of this story is "darker and more brutal than anything the studio has done before."
A trailer sparking image comparisons has escalated into a marketing director personally weighing in on algorithms and mental health—not a common sight in AAA pre-launch PR playbooks. How the finished game actually turns out will only be answered once it officially launches on September 15.
