Wolverine Becomes an Isekai Hero in Marvel's Dark Soulslike Reimagining

Wolverine has been a hot topic lately — with Deadpool & Wolverine bringing the iconic film version of the character back to the forefront, and the recently previewed Wolverine video game from Insomniac Games getting fans excited to revisit Weapon X all over again. However, Wolverine is still holding it down in the comics world, with writer Saladin Ahmed penning his stories since 2024.

While Logan's most recent issue, Wolverine #22, sees him battling Taskmaster, previews have been released all the way up to Wolverine #26 — and the series looks to be ramping up in a big way. With the tense adventure Wolverine is about to embark on comes new variant covers — and one, in particular, sums up the character's struggles perfectly.

Alessandro Cappuccio's Wolverine #26 Cover Pays Homage To Both Isekai Heroes And Soulslike Games

Posted to X, Alessandro Cappuccio shared his cover for Wolverine #26, which features the titular character riddled with arrows as he attempts to escape grave danger. Cappuccio explained that his cover draws inspiration from the genre known as “isekai” which features a hero who is transported into a new world where he must adapt to new powers and abilities. Given the state Wolverine has found himself in during Ahmed's current run, this may actually be a positive development. After all, Wolverine is used to being a stranger in a strange place, so this theme makes perfect sense for the character.

Early previews for Wolverine #26 tease the return of The Savage Champions, which may suggest Wolverine is entering the multiverse once again. If this is, in fact, the case, then it makes sense why Cappuccio framed Wolverine as an isekai hero — entering an unpredictable world where he will surely be forced to adapt.

On the same social media, Cappuccio asks fans if they can guess which specific universe inspired his cover. Given the equipment slots in the lower left corner, and what looks to be health, stamina, and magicka bars in the lower right corner, it seems obvious the artist is paying homage to Elden Ring — or Souls-like video games in general. The image itself makes the idea of a Wolverine game from FromSoftware very desirable, given the brutal nature of both the character and the Souls-like genre. While Insomniac's Wolverine looks to be a wildly violent experience, Cappuccio's Wolverine #26 cover makes it difficult not to wonder what a Souls-like Wolverine game would look like.

Who Are The Savage Champions?

The official preview for Wolverine #26 reads: "RETURN OF THE SAVAGE CHAMPIONS! The game-changing SAVAGE CHAMPIONS return — and this time, they need WOLVERINE!" This, of course, promises the return of The Savage Champions — but who are they? In Wolverine #19, Logan is told by the goddess Athena that he is Earth-616's incarnation of a multiversal archetype. According to Athena, every universe in the multiverse has a specific individual who embodies man, beast, and metal and is known as its "Savage Champion." In the following issue, Wolverine must contend with these Savage Champions — characters who have become staples in recent issues of the comic.

Essentially, the Savage Champions are Wolverine's equivalent to Spider-Man's own Spider-verse — Logan now has intrinsic ties to all universes in the multiverse, making him a necessary fabric in the larger picture. While most characters have variants, it seems the Savage Champions are more important to the Wolverine character on a deeper level. Perhaps with the upcoming events of Wolverine #26, the importance of Logan in the larger multiverse will become clearer.

Marvel's Isekai Variant Covers line launches in Aug. 2026.