Ethan Crossfield 
Big-budget action games often invite comparisons when new gameplay footage reveals familiar combat patterns. That is now happening with Marvel's Wolverine, as a preview clip showing a Sentinel encounter has been placed alongside footage from the largely forgotten 2007 game Ben 10: Protector of Earth. The resemblance is striking enough to attract attention, although it does not necessarily point to a broader issue with Insomniac Games' upcoming title.
Why Marvel's Wolverine Is Under the Microscope
Marvel's Wolverine has generated substantial interest since its announcement in 2021. Insomniac's move from its Marvel's Spider-Man work to a Wolverine-led action game created obvious expectations, and the material shown so far has generally been received positively. As with any heavily anticipated release, however, the game has also faced criticism and smaller gameplay nitpicks from viewers examining every new detail.
The latest discussion comes from previews released by several outlets this week. Those previews provide a more extensive look at the game, including a boss battle in which Wolverine faces a large Sentinel. The encounter has become the focus of the Ben 10 comparison.
The Sentinel Encounter Resembles a Familiar Formula
A side-by-side video reposted by user kaiser_drago compares the Wolverine footage with a scene from Ben 10: Protector of Earth. In both clips, the oversized enemy attacks by striking the ground. The player character avoids the impact, waits for the opening, and then moves in to deal damage during the recovery window.
The sequence is similar enough that fans have described the Wolverine battle as echoing the older game's structure. The comparison is unusual because Ben 10: Protector of Earth is not a title that commonly appears in discussions about modern action-game design, making the pairing more memorable than a standard comparison with another major franchise.
A Shared Pattern Does Not Define the Whole Game
The boss design shown in the clip follows a well-established action-game pattern: telegraph a powerful attack, reward an evasive maneuver, and create a short counterattack opportunity. That structure has appeared in many games, so the footage alone cannot establish that Marvel's Wolverine directly borrowed from Ben 10: Protector of Earth. It also says little about the quality or variety of the game's boss encounters overall.
The most reasonable conclusion is narrower. One Sentinel sequence appears to use a combat rhythm that resembles the older Ben 10 battle, while the broader design of Wolverine remains unknown from this footage.
What Players Know Before Release
The preview footage arrives one month before Marvel's Wolverine is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5, giving players a clearer view of what to expect. The game's ESRB rating has also indicated an M for Mature classification, including intense blood and gore, which fits the violent character at the center of the project.
Insomniac's plans after Wolverine are less certain. Reports have suggested that Marvel's Spider-Man 3 may be in development, but that project has not been confirmed. For now, the studio's immediate focus remains its Wolverine release and the reaction to its newly shown gameplay.
Key points
- A Marvel's Wolverine Sentinel battle is being compared with a 2007 Ben 10: Protector of Earth encounter.
- Both sequences feature a ground attack followed by a dodge and a counterattack opportunity.
- The pattern is common in action games and does not prove direct influence or copying.
- Marvel's Wolverine is scheduled for PlayStation 5 and has received an M for Mature rating.
Expert View
The reaction shows how closely audiences inspect gameplay from established superhero franchises, especially when a familiar encounter can be reduced to a short, shareable comparison. For Insomniac and Marvel, the practical takeaway is that boss fights will need enough variation and personality to stand apart from recognizable action-game formulas. A single similar sequence is unlikely to affect the game's prospects, but the community's response highlights the pressure on Wolverine to demonstrate depth beyond its character and visual presentation.
