Wolf is one of those characters that, like Roy and Lucas, can easily be put in the new game. His model can be modeled after Fox and he was meant to be a Fox clone in Brawl.
Despite that he's not a full Fox clone (and barely a semi-clone), did you know that Wolf in Brawl shares some animations with Sonic, Diddy Kong and Link?
Wolf's up Smash = Sonic's up aerial
Wolf's down Smash = Link's down Smash (obviously without the sword and using his claws instead)
Wolf's down aerial = Diddy Kong's down aerial
Wolf's dash attack has the same animation as when Sonic runs up against a wall.
Of course, he also has plenty of unique moves, but this is one more reason that Wolf does require less work than other veterans.
Hopefully, the votes thrown for Wolf will be meaningful and the character returns as DLC. It's going to be satisfying seeing Wolf return after suggesting it in an official ballot.