Summary

Deadpool & Wolverine
will see a unique take on Logan, potentially as a variant, focusing on humor and a rogue-like personality.
Fans are divided on Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine, with concerns about maintaining the character’s legacy and sacrificing storytelling.
The film aims to explore the untapped comedic potential of Wolverine, utilizing his serious persona as a contrast to Deadpool’s snarky humor.

Marvel may be taking a much-deserved break for most of 2024, but we’ll still see the release of one major blockbuster from them this summer, featuring the long-awaited return of everybody’s favorite Merc With a Mouth. That’s right – Deadpool is finally back and set to wreak havoc on the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine. But as the title suggests, he won’t be alone this time; Deadpool will be teaming up with the iconic Wolverine, with Hugh Jackman reprising his most famous role despite having retired from the franchise with his 2017 swansong, Logan.

Considering that Logan was, by all accounts, a perfect sendoff, the news of Jackman’s return has seen a polarizing reception among fans. While some are understandably excited at the prospect of a legend returning to his career-making role for (this time for sure) the final time, others have argued that this signals a worrying recent trend for the MCU in prioritizing fanservice over storytelling. Others still feel that any return for Wolverine would cheapen his heroic sacrifice at the end of Logan. But as the recent trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine revealed, things might not be that simple.

Is Deadpool & Wolverine’s Logan a Variant?

Deadpool & Wolverine seeks to continue the recent multiverse shenanigans the MCU has embarked on. The plot is set into motion when the Time Variance Authority (from the TV show Loki) pulls Wade Wilson out of his timeline and into the multiverse, sending him on a secret mission in exchange for saving his own universe and being allowed to enter the “Sacred Timeline” and become canon in the MCU.

To complete his mission, Deadpool is partnered up with none other than Wolverine, but from what the second trailer revealed, this might be a different take on the character than the one we grew up loving. In the trailer’s first scene, Logan is shown drinking in a bar, and his temper seems closer to the hard-drinking, antagonistic Logan that we saw in the original 2000 X-Men than the lovable rogue that he eventually grew into. More intriguingly, it seems this version of Logan is a pariah in his universe, as the bartender tells him, “You’re not welcome here, you’re not welcome anywhere.”

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When Deadpool arrives and pulls Logan into the multiverse, the two understandably don’t get along right away. Deadpool claims that he needs help saving his universe. Since he’s familiar with Wolverine’s heroics, he’s come to recruit him for help, but they (at least apparently) come to blows almost immediately in the Void (also from Loki). But their conversation beforehand may hint at this Wolverine’s deal; when he insists the mission isn’t his problem, Deadpool retorts, “Is that what you said when your world went to s**t?”

Further explanation comes with the appearance of Paradox (Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen), a TVA agent, who reveals to Deadpool, “This Wolverine let down his entire world.” This seems to confirm a long-suspected theory; the Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine is not the one from the Fox films but is, in fact, a variant of the character, which would be an easy way to justify bringing him back after his supposed grand finale.

Is Bringing Back Wolverine in Deadpool 3 a Good Idea?

Despite the exciting prospect of seeing Jackman return to his most famous role (not to mention finally seeing the character don his trademark blue and yellow costume), it’s still hard not to wonder – is bringing him back a good idea? Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years and, by the end of his run, seemed as excited to move onto new things as much as anyone, not to mention the fact that Logan saw him bring a newfound gravitas to the role and helped make it a pitch-perfect farewell.

But if Jackman walked back from a retirement he was once adamant about, one has to wonder if it’s because Deadpool & Wolverine would allow him to put a new spin on Wolverine instead of just rehashing his well-trod character arc. Based on what the trailer has shown us, it seems it could go either way.

On the one hand, it looks as though the film is taking inspiration from the “Old Man Logan” comic, depicting the character as more of a rogue than ever after failing to protect his loved ones. The Fox X-Men films covered this ground thoroughly many times before; the original film perfectly captured his gruff nature and reluctance to be a hero, and Logan already faithfully brought the “Old Man Logan” comic to life. If his arc in Deadpool & Wolverine is one where his gruffness gradually melts, and he’s able to rediscover his heroism, it would admittedly feel redundant.

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On the other hand, if this incarnation of Wolverine does turn out to be a variant, there are a couple of new directions they could take the character. The first and most obvious one is a more comedic take. While Logan had countless moments of dry wit throughout the X-Men film franchise, they mostly manifested as a way to bring levity to a relatively grounded take on the comic book genre. Deadpool & Wolverine will be the first time Logan takes center stage in a primarily comedic film, and the possibilities for hilarity are endless.

In particular, it’s easy to see the creative team pulling off a similar trick that the second Deadpool accomplished with Cable, utilizing Wolverine’s ultra-serious persona as a way to contrast with Deadpool’s carefree snark. Considering the short-tempered attitude Jackman made such a defining trait for Wolverine, putting that attitude in the middle of a more comedic setting and treating him as the only sane man is a great idea on paper. And helping matters is that Hugh Jackman is such a naturally gifted comedic talent (not to mention his Broadway-level musical chops), and allowing him to bring those skills to the X-Men universe seems like a natural setup to take advantage of.

Deadpool 3 Should Be a Promising New Take on Wolverine

From what little the trailer has shown us, it seems as though the creative team recognizes Wolverine’s untapped comedic potential, and considering that this incarnation is almost certainly a variant, it wouldn’t run the risk of cheapening his characterization from the previous films. On paper, it seems unnecessary for Hugh Jackman to return to a role that he already sent off spectacularly, and we won’t know for sure until we see the final film. But at least thus far, it seems the Logan present in Deadpool & Wolverine will be just different enough to not feel like a way for Jackman to relive his past glory days. Deadpool & Wolverine is heading to theaters on July 26, 2024.