Insomniac has finally done what short-sighted Marvel executives have been trying to do for years with its new Wolverine game—take the word “Men” out of X-Men. And they may have had some help from Kim Belair’s Sweet Baby Inc.
For years, some of Marvel’s most prominent executives and creatives have openly questioned whether the X-Men name still fits “modern audiences.”
Fans saw it in Dark Phoenix, where a much-mocked line suggested the team should be called “X-Women.” They saw it again when former Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso publicly argued that the X-Men name felt outdated because the roster includes female heroes.
Wolverine fighting in the snow from the trailer for Insomniac’s Wolverine – YouTube, PlayStation
Now, a newly surfaced explanation of Insomniac Games’ upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine has many fans wondering whether that mindset has finally made its way into gaming.
According to creative director Marcus Smith, the X-Men simply don’t exist in the world of Marvel’s Wolverine. Instead, Logan’s history is tied to a group called Team X.
The explanation has sparked plenty of discussion online, especially because a description of the replacement team sounds strikingly familiar.
Insomniac Says There Are No X-Men In Wolverine
While discussing the game’s setting, Smith explained that Insomniac is building its own version of Marvel’s mutant corner.
“It’s our own unique take on the world, and as such, we are putting it in modern times,” he said. “But the X-Men do not exist. The X-Men are not in our game, and where we do start is Logan has been around for a while. He’s been part of a team called Team X.”
At face value, that sounds like a major departure from traditional Wolverine lore.
Wolverine riding a motorcycle from the trailer for Insomniac’s Wolverine – YouTube, PlayStation
But then Smith elaborated on what Team X actually is, calling them: “A group of mutants who go all around the world and save other mutants who are in danger.”
That description immediately caught the attention of longtime Marvel fans.
Because that’s essentially what the X-Men have done for decades.
Whether under Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, or numerous other leaders, the central premise has remained largely unchanged: mutants working together to protect and assist other mutants while navigating a world that often fears them.
(L-R): Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Jubilee (voiced by Holly Chou), Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase), Roberto Da Costa (voiced by Gui Agustini), Nightcrawler (voiced by Adrian Hough), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), and Morph (voiced by JP Karliak) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.
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Which raises a simple question: If Team X is a group of mutants traveling the world to rescue mutants in danger, how exactly is it different from the X-Men?
For many fans, the answer appears to be that it isn’t.
Team X Already Exists In Marvel Comics
Another factor makes Smith’s explanation even more confusing for longtime Marvel readers: Team X already exists in Marvel lore.
Historically, Team X was a covert black-ops unit connected to the Weapon X program rather than a globe-trotting mutant rescue organization. Over the years, the roster included characters such as Wolverine, Sabretooth, Maverick, Silver Fox, and John Wraith, with the group carrying out clandestine missions for government agencies.
Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.
In other words, the Team X that has existed in Marvel Comics for decades bears little resemblance to the version Smith described.
That’s what makes the explanation so puzzling. Insomniac isn’t simply replacing the X-Men with another established Marvel team. Instead, it appears to be taking the name of an existing Marvel group and attaching it to a concept that sounds much closer to the traditional role of the X-Men themselves.
A team of mutants traveling the world to help mutants in danger has been one of the defining pillars of the X-Men franchise for generations. For many fans, that only reinforces the perception that Insomniac has effectively recreated the X-Men under a different name while discarding the word “Men” from the title.
Marvel Has Been Wrestling With The X-Men Name For Years
The reason this announcement landed so differently than a typical continuity change is because Marvel has a history with this particular topic.
Back in 2019, Dark Phoenix featured a scene in which Mystique suggested that perhaps the team should be renamed “X-Women.” The moment quickly became one of the most ridiculed lines in the film and was viewed by many fans as an unnecessary attempt to score contemporary social points.
Former Marvel executive Victoria Alonso – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Then came Victoria Alonso’s comments questioning whether the X-Men name still made sense.
Those remarks generated immediate backlash from comic readers who pointed out that the name has never been a literal reference to male heroes. The X-Men derive their name from Professor Xavier and the mutant X-Gene, not from the gender of the team’s members.
Even so, the criticism never completely disappeared.
That’s why some fans are looking at Team X and seeing more than a simple creative decision. They see a concept that appears functionally identical to the X-Men, but stripped of the word “Men.”
Sweet Baby Inc.’s Connection Continues To Draw Scrutiny
The discussion surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine has also been fueled by the game’s connection to Sweet Baby Inc.
In 2021, the consulting company publicly announced on social media that it was helping bring both Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine to life alongside Insomniac Games.
Don’t be fooled. https://t.co/UNwAerlV2q pic.twitter.com/1jDs4BnQPW
— MasteroftheTDS (@MasteroftheTDS) September 4, 2025
After that announcement, however, the company became significantly less public about its involvement.
That shift came during a period when Sweet Baby Inc. found itself at the center of growing controversy within the gaming community.
The consultancy became known for advising studios on diversity, representation, and sensitivity issues in major projects. Critics argued that the company was helping push modern ideological priorities into established franchises, while supporters maintained it was simply offering narrative guidance.
Sweet Baby Inc. CEO Kim Belair via InclusionFX YouTube
The controversy intensified further after co-founder Kim Belair’s widely discussed Game Developers Conference presentation, during which she encouraged developers seeking support for diversity initiatives to pressure decision-makers and “terrify” them about the potential consequences of not embracing such efforts.
Public criticism of the company grew substantially following the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, leading to organized consumer backlash and increased scrutiny of games associated with Sweet Baby Inc.
Around that same period, the company dramatically reduced its public profile, becoming far less vocal about projects it was attached to.
A screenshot of the Sweet Baby Inc. Detected curator list on Steam
Whether Sweet Baby Inc. had any involvement in the Team X decision remains unknown.
However, the company’s previously announced connection to Wolverine is one reason fans continue examining new details about the project so closely.
The Debate Isn’t Going Away
Insomniac may ultimately have a compelling reason for replacing the X-Men with Team X.
Perhaps the game’s story will reveal significant differences between the two groups. Perhaps there are narrative twists that have yet to be disclosed.
A close up of Wolverine from the trailer for Insomniac’s Wolverine – YouTube, PlayStation
But based on what has been shared so far, many fans aren’t seeing a new concept.
They’re seeing a team of mutants who travel the globe helping mutants in danger.
In other words, they’re seeing what sounds an awful lot like the X-Men.
And after years of hearing Marvel figures criticize the name itself, it’s not difficult to understand why some players believe Team X represents less of a reinvention and more of a rebranding.
How do you feel about changes made to the X-Men in Insomniac’s Wolverine game? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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