Back in March, we saw Wolverine return to the big screen in Logan, which was the magnum opus for the Hugh Jackman's iteration of the character and one of the best films of the year. The future of the character, and the X-Men, on film is up in the air at the moment, but it is possible that one day soon we could see him yucking it up with the Avengers and Spider-Man. While we wait, we have to turn to other avenues to get our fix of the mutant Canuck. In addition to the comics, we will soon be able to hear Wolverine being the best he is at what he does in an entirely new format. In a move that came seemingly out of left field, Marvel has announced plans to partner with Stitcher on a scripted podcast called Wolverine: The Long Night.
Wolverine: The Long Night will be a ten episode series premiering in Spring 2018 exclusively on Stitcher Premium. In the fall of next year, it will go wide to all other podcast platforms. The series will primarily be a mystery, which is still woven into the wider fabric of the Marvel Universe. In it, two agents will investigate a series of murders in Burns, Alaska, where the townsfolk live in fear of a serial killer. They will team up with a local deputy for their investigation as they focus on the primary suspect, none other than Weapon X himself, Wolverine. The investigation will lead the agents down a rabbit hole through the corrupt and mysterious town in their hunt for the killer.
Marvel seems to be going all in on the production for Wolverine: The Long Night to make sure the quality is reflective of the Marvel brand . The voice cast includes Richard Armitage in the role of Logan, as well as Scott Adsit, Bob Balaban and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Some outdoor scenes for the series will be recorded on location for a more realistic sound. The actors will also be able to play off of one another in an ambisonic studio, where they will be free to move and interact. The podcast series is being written by comic book scribe Ben Percy and directed by Brendan Baker. I imagine if this is successful, we will see a whole slew of scripted Marvel podcasts in the future. Comics, movies, TV shows and now podcasts, if you like superheroes, there is always a way to get your fix.
I understand the desire for a name actor in the title role, but it is kind of a bummer that such an awesome role in a high-profile podcast couldn't go to a dedicated voice actor. Bring back Cal Dodd from the '90s cartoon. The role meant a great deal to him, and for some of us, he still is Wolverine. Marvel's decision to enter the podcast game is somewhat surprising, but it shouldn't be. The rise of podcasts has been incredible, and for many people they are just another element of our entertainment diet. For anyone with a long commute or on a road trip, podcasts and audiobooks are invaluable. Music is great, but nothing passes the time like getting wrapped up in a story. It's funny too, because radio serials were once an entertainment staple before television came along, and now, like vinyl, they are back, albeit in a slightly different form.
For all the latest in hearing Wolverine's berserker attack while on your morning commute, stay tuned to CinemaBlend and feel free to listen to the latest episode of CinemaBlend's Cord Cutter Podcast.
