While Marvel’s Wolverine is still a ways off from release, the game’s recent reveal did put quite a few doubts to rest; the biggest being the casting of the game’s leading mutant, James “Logan” Howlett, the Wolverine. The game’s success hinged on the casting of the character, so naturally, worries remained despite Insomniac’s immaculate track record of casting for its Marvel projects. Fortunately, it seems the team at Insomniac knocked it out of the park again, because actor Liam McIntyre has been announced as the voice of Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine.
For those unfamiliar with the actor, Liam McIntyre is an Australian actor with over a decade of Film, TV, and Video Game acting experience. He’s an experienced voice actor, as well, having voiced a few DC Comics characters like Aquaman and Captain Boomerang, and J.D. Fenix in Gears 5 and Gears of War 4. What’s truly special about his casting in Marvel’s Wolverine, however, is just how much the stars align between the history of Wolverine castings, the role, and McIntyre himself.
Liam McIntyre Makes Total Sense as Marvel’s Wolverine
To begin with, McIntyre quite literally looks the part. In fact, beyond voicing Wolverine in Marvel’s Wolverine, McIntyre will also lend his likeness to the character, having done much of the motion capture work as well. While those things may not be necessary to create an excellent performance, they shine even brighter since his work in the reveal trailer is pitch-perfect in terms of voice.
McIntyre’s casting marks the second time an Australian actor seemed perfect for the character, the first being Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, which was so iconic and difficult to recast.
Beyond his actual physical attributes, Liam also has serious experience with characters in the same vein as Logan. He’s played Spartacus, voiced Aquaman since 2021, and was the voice and face of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Taron Malicos, a vengeful Jedi who’d fallen to the dark side of the force. McIntyre’s was a standout performance in that game, one that’s all the more relevant since, despite their many differences, Taron Malicos and Logan share a similar essence of anger and wrath.
Fans Are Already Celebrating McIntyre’s Casting in Marvel’s Wolverine
Since the announcement of Marvel’s Wolverine at the recent Sony State of Play event, people online have been praising Liam McIntyre’s casting as Wolverine. On X, fans have said McIntyre is “a fantastic fit” for the character, and that his work in the reveal trailer “sounds fantastic.” Though the reactions can’t really speak to the actual quality of the game itself, especially this far from launch, it’s clear that Insomniac is putting its best foot forward by focusing so much on what looks like a fantastic casting decision.
Marvel’s Wolverine Casting Announcement Sets the Tone Ahead of the Game’s Release
Although maintaining the hype may not be as crucial for Insomniac’s Marvel titles as it is for other non-IP games, it’ll undoubtedly be one of the studio’s bigger considerations. The title has been in production for years and has seen a fair share of troubles during that time, with the Insomniac ransomware attack being the most significant and unfortunate by far. The studio has managed to come back swinging from that situation, and should the quality of this reveal be anything to go by, it has likely got more success in store.
It’s also clear that no matter what’s down the road for this project, Insomniac is the studio best equipped for it. The studio has redefined itself in the modern era through its undeniable successes with Marvel games and IPs. If this casting is indicative of the type of decisions that are going into the game, Marvel’s Wolverine might manage to continue that legacy.