Marvel’s Wolverine Has Some Of His Biggest Villains Ever — But It Definitely Needs To Skip This One

Marvel’s Wolverine is looking like one of the most exciting superhero games to hit gaming this year, with a grisly presentation and brutal combat system highlighting what makes Logan such a unique figure among the Marvel heroes. Wolverine infamously has villains that can match that ferocity and bloodshed with their own vicious qualities, with many of them already confirmed for the game through previews and teasers. So far, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Omega Red have popped up in trailers, on top of more general X-Men threats like the Sentinels, the Reavers, and Mystique.

That doesn’t mean there can’t be other villains waiting in the wings. However, there’s one notable Wolverine enemy who really shouldn’t be in the game. Despite the easy temptation to throw him in there thanks to his long history with Logan and the potential for a mirror-match-style boss fight, this villain would be too distracting for Marvel’s Wolverine — but could be ideal for future games.

I Really Hope Marvel’s Wolverine Doesn’t Have Romulus

Marvel’s Wolverine is already shaping up to be an expansive showcase for many of the mutant anti-hero’s biggest villains, but Romulus should not be among them. While many of the confirmed villains like Sabretooth, Mystique, Omega Red, and Lady Deathstrike have all been threatening Logan for over thirty years, Romulus is a comparatively newer villain. Romulus debuted in 2007’s Wolverine #50 in a story by Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi. Romulus was quickly established as one of the shadowy figures behind much of Logan’s backstory, with the ancient mutant having a fairly similar set of abilities (and even appearance) to Wolverine.

Romulus was retconned to have been the architect behind the Weapon X program and even took Wolverine’s son Daken when he was a baby so that he could raise the child into a ruthless warrior. Despite the setup that he’s going to be a major villain in the grand scheme of things, Romulus has a fairly weak record when it comes to actually facing off with Logan — he’s been trapped in the Darkforce Dimension controlled by Cloak, dropped in the supervillain superprison the Raft, and most recently killed off by Hercules. In theory, Romulus could be a compelling enemy for Wolverine in a video game, a twisted reflection of the heroic berserker who is willing and able to cross lines even Logan won’t. However, there are a lot of reasons to hope Romulus isn’t in the game.

Romulus’ complex backstory and interconnected history with Logan would introduce a lot of exposition to a game that, from the previews, seems to thrive best when it’s action-driven. Logan already has plenty of direct contrasts in the game, with Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike both offering distinct reflections of his powers and abilities. Romulus is also all about looking to the past, when Marvel’s Wolverine has the tricky task of establishing how mutants fit into this continuity. He’s also, to be perfectly honest, a far less memorable enemy for Logan than the more distinct antagonists that have been confirmed for the game. Coupled with the game’s clear focus on technology-based foes like the Reavers and the Sentinels, Romulus would be an odd fit for Marvel’s Wolverine.

Romulus Could Be A Good Threat For Marvel’s Wolverine 2

That’s not to say that Romulus couldn’t become a factor in video game versions of Wolverine’s adventures. While he might not be the right pick for Marvel’s Wolverine considering how much worldbuilding that game is already doing, Romulus could be an ideal central threat to a potential sequel. His connections to Logan’s past could be a good excuse to do a game where different time periods of Wolverine’s life are exposed, delving more into the mysterious backstory that the first game will likely set up. His powers and skills make him an ideal dueling boss battle for Wolverine to overcome, someone with the same abilities but unique talents that Wolverine has to learn to counter through the course of his solo adventure.

It could also tee up Daken as a character for Wolverine to initially fight and then try to win over, playing into their fraught relationship and using it to give Logan a very emotional throughline to embark on. With the first game poised to lay the groundwork for this universe’s mutants, a sequel could spend more time on the past — a place where Romulus is more interesting as an antagonist. If he just shows up as a villain in the present day, most of his traits (secret history with Logan, similar powerset but with brutal edges, and a sadistic enemy who loves to toy with Wolverine) are also represented by the more iconic Sabretooth. Romulus could be a clever way to flesh out the larger history of this take on the Marvel Universe, but that needs its own game to fully explore. While Romulus would feel like a waste to use in Marvel’s Wolverine, he could be a great big bad for a sequel.

What other villains are you hoping pop up in Marvel’s Wolverine? Let us know in the comments and on social media!