Marvel’s Wolverine trailer hides Incredible Hulk Easter egg in plain sight

The Marvel’s Wolverine the trailer hid a reference to the Incredible Hulk in plain sight, though it’s too early to say if that may herald an appearance for the angry green giant.

The brief cinematic trailer debuted at PlayStation Showcase yesterday, introducing us to Spider-Man developer Insomniac’s take on another part of the Marvel canon (he also revealed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, so Insomniac is really busy there). The Princess Bar’s placement of the trailer is a nod to a recurring Marvel location, but this Easter Egg is even more subtle.

When the trailer first plays Logan with his back to the camera, a Quebec license plate number “HLK 181” is visible just above the bar. It’s a clever nod to the 1974 Marvel comic book issue that Wolverine debuted in: Incredible Hulk # 181 “And now… The Wolverine!” Understandably, he and the Hulk throw their hands together a bit before they finally team up against a common foe. The site of their battle is in the wilderness of Quebec.

It’s possible Insomniac would tease a role for Dr. Banner in Wolverine’s story with the license plate, but it’s at least as likely that the studio is simply paying homage to Wolverine’s comedic origins – the bar ledger says “19.74” as another reference to his early days, for example. On the other hand, Insomniac Games teased that he’s building “a new original universe with Spider-Man and now Wolverine,” so you never know when or where other heroes may appear.