Marvel is making a scripted 'Wolverine' podcast for Stitcher
'The Long Night' will debut next spring.
Marvel is taking Logan to the internet. The comics publisher has entered a partnership with Stitcher to produce a premium podcast starring the razor-clawed mutant called Wolverine: The Long Night. Weapon X will be voiced by Richard Armitage, who has lent his voice to Netflix's Castlevania series as Trevor Belmont. Of course, he was also Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. Needless to say, his geek cred stacks up. As for the rest of the production, TechCrunch notes that the 10-episode season finds Wolverine hounded by investigators tracking a serial killer, and that it will debut next spring.
This won't exist on Stitcher's free service, though. Ben Percy (Green Arrow, Batman: Detective Comics) is on writing duties, and the cast also includes Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock) and veteran podcaster Chris Gethard. Sound effects will be recorded in surround sound too, which, combined with the cast, explains why Wolverine: The Long Night will live on Stitcher's $35 yearly Premium subscription (or $5 per month). After an exclusivity period, it'll arrive on other platforms next fall.
From the sounds of it, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Marvel's Dan Silver described the podcast to Variety as "the ideal premiere vehicle" and that Marvel will keep exploring the medium. With how well podcasts like Serial, Crimetown and Heaven's Gate have done, and how comic heroes have invaded pop culture, this seems like an area ripe for expansion -- especially given that this is a murder mystery. Wolverine as the star is just the icing on the cake here.