Deadpool and Wolverine guide

Complete X-Men Movie Recap: A Guide Before Watching Deadpool and Wolverine

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    There are a total of 13 movies in the X-Men film series, which include two Deadpool movies, three Wolverine movies, seven X-Men movies, and one New Mutants movie. But do you know the story of all these movies? Deadpool and Wolverine have a lot of cameos, and these cameos are from different corners of the X-Men movies. To enjoy every detail, you need to know about the X-Men film series. That’s why we have brought you a complete X-Men movie recap of the entire Fox X-Men Universe. From the appearance of Sabretooth in the first X-Men movie to Colossus in Deadpool, X-23 in the Logan movie, and Quicksilver in Days of Future Past, every story is covered here.

    X-Men (2000)

    In Poland, 14-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is separated from his parents in 1944. To avoid being taken away, he extends his hand, causing the metal gates to bend towards him, revealing his magnetic mutant ability. In the present day, US Senator Robert Kelly has introduced the Mutant Registration Act in Congress, which would force mutants to reveal their identity and abilities. Telepathic mutant Charles Xavier is concerned about what Erik Lehnsherr, now known as Magneto, will do about this act.

    In Meridian, Mississippi, 17-year-old Anna Marie, aka Rogue (played by Anna Paquin), accidentally puts her boyfriend into a coma with a kiss. Marieโ€™s mutant abilities had awakened, causing her to absorb the life force and memories of anyone she touches. She runs away to Alberta, where she encounters Wolverine, aka Logan (played by Hugh Jackman), a mutant with adamantium claws and superhuman healing abilities. Sabretooth from Magnetoโ€™s Brotherhood of Mutants attacks Wolverine and Rogue, but they are saved by Cyclops and Storm from Xavierโ€™s X-Men team. Storm (Halle Berry) and Cyclops (James Marsden) bring them to the mutant school of Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who is a powerful telepath. They meet Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Bobby Drake, aka Iceman (Shawn Ashmore).

    Xavier believes Magneto wanted to capture Logan, so he asks Logan to stay for a few days. Rogue also becomes a part of the school and develops a crush on Bobby, who has ice-related powers. Magnetoโ€™s Brotherhood, including Toad and Mystique, capture Senator Kelly and bring him to Genosha Island. Magneto uses Kelly as a test subject, exposing him to radiation that causes normal humans to mutate. Senator Kelly escapes using his new mutation abilities.

    Rogue, having a nightmare, accidentally absorbs Wolverine’s healing abilities when he stabs her in his sleep. Mystique, disguised as Bobby, tells Rogue that Xavier is angry with her and she should leave the school. Xavier discovers Rogueโ€™s absence and tracks her using the mutant-tracking device, Cerebro. The X-Men go to fetch Rogue, but Mystique sabotages Cerebro. Wolverine convinces Rogue to return, but Magneto captures her instead. Magneto (Ian McKellen), a Holocaust survivor and a metal-controlling mutant, leads Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), the shape-shifting Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), and Toad (Ray Park) in a plot to kidnap anti-mutant Senator Robert Kelly (Bruce Davison) and use Rogue to try to transform the world leaders into mutants on Liberty Island.

    Senator Kelly arrives at Xavierโ€™s school and, through mind-reading, Xavier learns Magnetoโ€™s plan. Magneto, nearly dying from using the mutation machine, intends to transfer his powers to Rogue to activate the machine, which would kill her. Kellyโ€™s body rejects the mutation and he dissolves into water. Xavier attempts to track Rogue with Cerebro but falls into a coma due to the sabotage. Jean Grey repairs Cerebro and learns that Magneto plans to use the machine on Liberty Island to mutate world leaders.

    The X-Men confront Magneto at the Statue of Liberty. In this final battle at the Statue of Liberty, Magneto transfers his powers to Rogue and activates the machine. Wolverine reaches Magneto and Cyclops throws him away. Wolverine destroys the machine, then transfers his healing powers to Rogue, saving her. Storm zaps Toad with lightning and delivers a zinger, “Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else.” Sabretooth is hit by an optic blast from Cyclops but Mystique survives, and Magneto is locked in a non-metal prison. Mystique, disguised as Senator Kelly, speaks against the Mutant Registration Act. Xavier informs Wolverine that answers about his past might be found in a Canadian military installation.

    X2 (2003)

    Six months later, Wolverine, in search of his past, finds the base where he was experimented upon in Alberta but finds nothing. A brainwashed teleporter Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) attacks the US President in the White House but escapes after being shot. Jean Grey struggles to control her powers. Xavier tracks Nightcrawler with Cerebro, and he and Cyclops visit Magneto to inquire about the attack. Jean and Storm go to fetch Nightcrawler. Military scientist William Stryker (Brian Cox) gets approval from the President to investigate Xavierโ€™s mansion.

    Stryker attacks the school, capturing some students. Colossus leads the remaining children to safety while Wolverine, Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro escape. Strykerโ€™s assistant Yuriko captures Cyclops and Xavier. Logan confronts Stryker, who reveals knowledge of his past. Mystique frees Magneto and learns of a second Cerebro. Logan, Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro seek refuge with Iceman’s parents in Boston, meeting up with Jean, Storm, and Nightcrawler. They are attacked by fighter jets, but Magneto saves them.

    Magneto informs the X-Men about Strykerโ€™s plan to use a second Cerebro to kill all mutants telepathically using Xavier. Strykerโ€™s brainwashed son Jason, with mind-controlling powers, will be used against Xavier. Magneto reveals Stryker was responsible for grafting adamantium onto Logan’s skeleton and erasing his memories. Jean discovers Strykerโ€™s base under Alkali Lake Dam through Nightcrawlerโ€™s mind. Mystique, disguised as Logan, infiltrates Strykerโ€™s base and brings the mutants inside. Mystique and Magneto disable Cerebro before Xavier can activate it.

    Storm and Nightcrawler free the captive students. Jean fights a mind-controlled Cyclops, damaging the dam and causing flooding. Logan recalls receiving his adamantium skeleton in Strykerโ€™s lab. He kills Yuriko and goes after Stryker, chaining him to a helicopter wheel. Magneto and Mystique change Cerebroโ€™s target to humans instead of mutants and leave with Pyro.

    Nightcrawler and Storm save Xavier by disrupting Jasonโ€™s concentration. The dam bursts, killing Stryker, but leaving the X-Jet powerless. Jean sacrifices herself to hold back the flood and lift the jet. The X-Men inform the President of Strykerโ€™s actions. Xavier convinces the President to work together for peace between humans and mutants. At school, Xavier, Cyclops, and Logan remember Jean, and Xavier resumes teaching.

    X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

    In 1986, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr visit a young Jean Grey, inviting her to Xavierโ€™s school. Ten years later, industrialist Warren Worthington II discovers his son is a mutant attempting to cut off his wings. In the present, Worthington Labs announces a cure for the mutant gene, causing controversy. Rogue, unable to touch anyone without harming them, is interested in the cure, but other X-Men oppose it.

    Magneto reforms the Brotherhood with those against the cure, warning it could be weaponized against mutants and declares war on humanity over a mutant cure treatment, applied to doubting mutants like Angel (Warren Worthington III, played by Ben Foster). With Pyro, Callisto, and others, Magneto attacks a prison convoy, freeing Mystique, Multiple Man, and Juggernaut. Mystique loses her powers saving Magneto and is abandoned. Cyclops, grieving over Jean’s death, goes to Alkali Lake where Jean appears, kisses him, and seemingly kills him. Xavier sends Logan and Storm to investigate, finding floating debris and Jean unconscious.

    Xavier explains Jeanโ€™s Phoenix persona, a dark personality he had telepathically suppressed. Logan is disturbed by Xavier’s manipulation of Jeanโ€™s mind. When Jean awakens, she kills Cyclops and reveals her dark side. Phoenix emerges, knocks out Logan, and escapes to her childhood home. Magneto and the Brotherhood arrive, clashing with the X-Men. Jean destroys the house and kills Xavier before leaving with Magneto.

    The FBI locates Magneto through Mystique, but they find Multiple Manโ€™s duplicates instead. Magneto and the Brotherhood attack Alcatraz to kill Jimmy, a mutant whose genome created the cure. The military fails to stop them, but the X-Men intervene. Kitty saves Jimmy from Juggernaut. Logan distracts Magneto while Beast injects him with the cure, stripping his powers. Phoenix awakens, causing destruction. Logan, with his healing factor and adamantium skeleton, approaches Jean. She begs him to kill her, and he does, ending Phoenixโ€™s rampage.

    Mutantsโ€™ rights debates arise, allowing those who want the cure to take it. Beast becomes an ambassador to the UN. Rogue, having taken the cure, reunites with Bobby. Magneto, now powerless, sits at a chessboard, but a piece moves slightly. In a post-credit scene, Charles Xavier returns.

    X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

    Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally met on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was released in 2009. This story shows Logan being born as James Howlett in 1845 in the Northwest Territories. Both he and Victor Creed have regenerative healing powers and animalistic claws, in this case made out of bone. James Howlettโ€™s mutant genes activate when he witnesses his fatherโ€™s death. James, taking the name Logan, and his brother fight in several wars, eventually joining a group of assassins called Team X in 1973 led by Major William Stryker (played by Danny Huston), who is searching for adamantium. The team includes marksman Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), the thick-skinned Fred Dukes, aka Blob (played by Kevin Durand), teleporter John Wraith (William of the Black Eyed Peas), the electromagnetic Chris Bradley, aka Bolt (played by Dominic Monaghan), and swordsman Wade Wilson (played by Ryan Reynolds), who manipulates him on Strykerโ€™s orders. Logan leaves the team, disturbed by their brutality, and meets Kayla Silverfox (played by Lynn Collins). After thinking that Sabretooth killed Kayla, Logan allows Stryker to operate on his skeleton to fuse adamantium to his bones and give him adamantium claws. They call him Weapon X or Weapon 10. Discovering Strykerโ€™s true intentions, Logan escapes. Logan meets Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), and finds Stryker on Three Mile Island, along with Stryker’s Weapon 11, aka the Deadpool, with a mix of mutant powers, including regeneration, retracting katanas, and optic blasts, yet no mouth. Wolverine and Sabretooth fight Weapon 11 together, decapitating him, and Stryker wipes Wolverine’s memory with an adamantium bullet.

    X-Men: First Class (2011)

    This movie rebooted the timeline with a younger cast of characters in the year 1963, with the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. James McAvoy plays Professor Xavier, Michael Fassbender played Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence played Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, and then a few other mutant characters. In 1944, German officer Klaus Schmidt forces young Erik Lehnsherr to use his powers by killing his mother. Meanwhile, young Charles Xavier meets Raven and invites her to live with him. Eighteen years later, Erik hunts Schmidt, now Sebastian Shaw, who plans to incite World War III to increase the mutant population through radiation.

    CIA agent Moira MacTaggert contacts Charles Xavier, who meets Erik Lehnsherr. They recruit mutants for CIA’s Division X. Shaw attacks the Division X facility, recruiting Angel. Shaw successfully installs missiles in Cuba to start a war, but Xavier and Erikโ€™s team intervene. Erik kills Shaw and attacks Russian and US ships but is stopped by Xavier, losing the use of his legs. Thus begins the rivalry between Xavierโ€™s X-Men and Magnetoโ€™s Brotherhood.

    The Wolverine (2013)

    Wolverine’s solo journey continued in The Wolverine in 2013. The story begins in 1945 with Logan saving Japanese officer Ichiro Yashida during the Nagasaki bombing. In the present, Logan, haunted by Jean Greyโ€™s death, is found by Yukio and taken to Tokyo to meet the dying Ichiro. Ichiro offers to take Loganโ€™s immortality, but Logan declines. That night, Ichiro dies, and Yakuza attempt to kidnap his granddaughter Mariko, but Logan saves her, and they fall in love.

    Loganโ€™s healing ability is suppressed by a robotic parasite implanted by Ichiroโ€™s doctor. Logan removes it, then defeats Shingen and rescues Mariko. Captured by Harada and Doctor Green, Logan faces the Silver Samurai, who cuts off his adamantium claws. It is revealed that the Silver Samurai is Ichiro, who faked his death. Mariko kills Ichiro with Logan’s bone claws. Logan overcomes his trauma and regains his healing powers.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

    In 2023, mutants and humans are hunted by Sentinels, created after Mystique killed Bolivar Trask in 1973. Wolverine‘s consciousness is sent back to 1973 to stop Mystique. He unites young Xavier and Magneto to prevent Mystiqueโ€™s assassination of Trask. Though they fail, the attack leads to the Sentinel program’s activation. Magneto holds the presidential cabinet hostage to fight Sentinels. Mystique, with Xavierโ€™s help, stops Magneto, convincing the President that mutants are not the enemy, halting the Sentinel program, and fixing the future.

    X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

    En Sabah Nur ruled ancient Egypt with his Four Horsemen. During a body transfer ceremony, a rebellion traps him underground. In 1983, Scott Summers gains his mutant abilities, and his brother Alex brings him to Xavierโ€™s school, where he meets Jean Grey. En Sabah Nur awakens, recruiting Storm as his first Horseman. Raven brings her son Kurt to the school. En Sabah Nur recruits Psylocke, Angel, and Magneto, completing his Four Horsemen. Learning about Charles Xavierโ€™s abilities, he plans to transfer his consciousness into Charlesโ€™s body.

    The X-Men confront En Sabah Nur in Cairo. Quicksilver saves students from an explosion. Colonel William Stryker captures Hank, Raven, and Peter. Scott, Jean, and Kurt free them and meet Weapon X. Magneto attacks the Earth under En Sabah Nur’s command. En Sabah Nur begins transferring his consciousness into Charles, but the X-Men intervene. A battle ensues, with Angel dying, Psylocke escaping, and Magneto and Storm turning against En Sabah Nur. Jean unleashes her Phoenix form, defeating En Sabah Nur.

    Logan (2017)

    In 2029, Logan is aging, and Professor Xavier suffers from dementia, cared for by mutant Caliban. No mutants have been born in 25 years. Laura, created from Loganโ€™s DNA and called X-23, enters their lives, pursued by Transigen, led by cyborg Donald Pierce and his Reavers. Logan, Xavier, and Laura flee, discovering Transigenโ€™s experiments on mutant children. Laura reveals her connection to Logan. They head to Eden, a refuge for mutant children.

    Attacked by Reavers, Xavierโ€™s psychic seizure incapacitates everyone but Logan and Laura. Xavier is killed by Loganโ€™s clone, X-24. Caliban sacrifices himself, allowing Logan and Laura to escape. Laura takes Logan to a doctor, then meets the other mutant children. Logan finds an adamantium bullet he kept for suicide. The Reavers attack, and Logan enhances his abilities with a serum to save the children. He kills Dr. Rice, responsible for no new mutants being born. X-24 nearly kills Logan, but Laura kills X-24 with the adamantium bullet. Logan tells Laura not to be a weapon and dies holding her hand. Laura buries him, marking his grave with an X.

    Dark Phoenix (2019)

    In 1975, 8-year-old Jean Grey survives a car crash that activates her telekinetic powers. Charles Xavier takes her to his school for gifted youngsters, promising to help her control her powers. Seventeen years later, in 1992, the space shuttle Endeavor is damaged by a solar flare-like energy. The President calls the X-Men to rescue the astronauts. Jean absorbs the energy, enhancing her psychic powers but losing emotional control. Xavier reveals he suppressed her memory of the crash, which killed her mother but left her father alive.

    Jeanโ€™s enhanced powers bring back her traumatic memories, causing instability. She visits her hometown and learns her father is alive and abandoned her. Jeanโ€™s memories return, revealing she caused the car crash. The X-Men arrive, and Jean loses control, killing Mystique. Jean flees to Genosha, seeking Erikโ€™s help. When military helicopters arrive, Jean attacks them, forcing Erik to send her away.

    Jean meets Vuk, leader of the shape-shifting alien race Dโ€™Bari, who explains the cosmic force Jean absorbed destroyed their planet. Vuk offers to help Jean use her powers safely. Hank blames Xavier for Mystiqueโ€™s death and leaves to join Erik, who decides to kill Jean. The X-Men confront Erikโ€™s team, but Jeanโ€™s powers overpower them. Xavier confronts Jean, who forgives him. Vuk reveals her plan to use the Phoenix Force to destroy Earth. Scott blasts Vuk, and government troops capture the mutants.

    Vukโ€™s forces attack the train transporting the mutants. The X-Men and soldiers unite to fight Vuk. Xavier enters Jeanโ€™s mind, and she awakens, taking Vukโ€™s powers, killing her. Jean embraces her Phoenix form and departs.

    The New Mutants (2020)

    Young Native American girl Danielle “Dani” Moonstarโ€™s village is destroyed by a tornado, leaving her as the sole survivor. She awakens in an isolated hospital run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes, who explains Dani is a mutant and must stay until she learns to control her powers. Dani meets other teenage mutants: Samuel “Sam” Guthrie, Illyana Rasputin, Roberto “Bobby” da Costa, and Rahne Sinclair. Each has a traumatic past related to their powers.

    Sam collapsed a coal mine, killing his father and workers. Roberto accidentally burned his girlfriend. Rahne killed a priest who branded her as a witch. Illyana, with interdimensional sorcery powers, was abused as a child. Reyes has force-field powers and trains them to join the X-Men.

    Dani wants to leave but encounters Reyes’s force field. Dani bonds with Rahne, but the group experiences visions of their fears. Reyes discovers Daniโ€™s power to manifest fears and is ordered to eliminate her. Daniโ€™s powers unleash chaos, and the group learns they are being trained as assassins for the Essex Corporation. They must kill Reyes to escape. Reyes traps them, but Daniโ€™s fear manifests as the Demon Bear, which kills Reyes.

    Illyana unleashes her true powers, summoning her soul sword and pet dragon Lockheed to fight the Demon Bear. With Sam, Rahne, and Robertoโ€™s help, they defeat it. Daniโ€™s fatherโ€™s spirit encourages her to face her fear, calming the bear. The group leaves the hospital to find the nearby town.

    Background Journey Deadpool

    We have to step out here, back into our universe, which is technically designated as Universe 1218. In our reality, Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, and the success of these X-Men films was its own uncanny story, which, due to Deadpool’s meta relationship with our reality, means that there’s likely to be a whole lot of references and callbacks to this part of the narrative, so it’s worth talking about.

    The first X-Men film was where Kevin Feige, future president of Marvel Studios, got his start. Feige, a USC film student who idolized Richard Donner, worked at Donner’s production company and became an assistant to Donner’s wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, the executive producer for Fox’s X-Men film. Feige made an impression on Hugh Jackman, who was recommended for the role by his friend Russell Crowe. Though Dougray Scott was initially cast, a motorcycle accident and scheduling conflicts led to Hugh Jackman getting the role.

    The first two X-Men films were directed by Bryan Singer, who banned comic books from the set. Feige, however, read as many Marvel comics as he could and set up a refuge where Hugh Jackman could learn about Wolverine’s comic history. Feige’s contributions led to him being credited as an associate producer on the first X-Men film. He was then offered a job by Marvel Entertainment to work with Avi Arad on all Marvel movies licensed to other studios throughout the decade.

    These included Sony’s Spider-Man franchise (Spider-Man in 2002, Spider-Man 2 in 2004, and Spider-Man 3 in 2007), Universal’s 2003 Hulk film, Fox’s Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005), Lionsgate’s Punisher (2004) and Punisher: War Zone (2007), Fox’s Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Sony’s Ghost Rider (2007) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and New Line’s Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), and Blade: Trinity (2004), which co-starred Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King.

    Deadpool’s story really begins in our reality again in 2004. Cable and Deadpool #2 featured a single frame in which Deadpool refers to his appearance as “Ryan Reynolds, misspelled, crossed with a sharpei,” and that brought this character to Ryan Reynolds’ attention. He was coming off of Blade: Trinity, and he said that he would love to play Deadpool if the opportunity ever arose. But while shooting X-Men Origins in 2008, Reynolds had little say over the script of the movies that he was shooting, and while the version of Wade Wilson in that movie was really just meant to be a scarred pre-Deadpool whose mouth would be torn open by the post-edit scene, Reynolds listened to the fans, and he always wanted redemption. In 2010, Ryan Reynolds partnered with Zombieland screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on an irreverent, comic-accurate script full of violent humor. That script leaked, and it was so well-liked by fans that Fox committed to a six-figure budget for test footage to be shot by Tim Miller in 2012. That test footage also leaked in July 2014, and the response was so enthusiastic that Fox was forced into greenlighting a Deadpool reboot, a decision made in September 2014 for a 2016 release.

    We are talking about this because Ryan Reynolds’ history with his fans is core to the mythology of these Deadpool movies. It all began with Ryan Reynolds getting Marvel buff for Blade: Trinity, having a bad experience with Wesley Snipes, and just feeling tickled at being referenced by a 2004 Deadpool comic. Then, he willed himself to play Deadpool before Hollywood really knew what to do with the character, and then he felt like an outcast to the MCU and the Fox X-Men franchise. He then willed into existence a new version of Deadpool in his own universe that he would have complete control over.

    Deadpool (2016)

    Deadpool, released in 2016, starred Ryan Reynolds as a wise-cracking mercenary who falls in love with Vanessa (played by Morena Baccarin). After being kicked out of Canadian special forces, Wade Wilson becomes a mercenary. He meets Vanessa, and they fall in love, but he is diagnosed with cancer. A recruiter offers experimental treatment, leading Wade to Ajaxโ€™s lab, where torture activates his latent mutant gene, granting regenerative healing but disfiguring him. It’s implied that the serum he received might have come from Wolverine’s DNA. Deadpool breaks the fourth wall and references separate film universes, the MCU, and the Fox X-Men franchise. Wade becomes Deadpool, seeking revenge on Ajax, meeting a new version of Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) as well as Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). We also meet his friend Weasel (TJ Miller), his roommate Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), and taxi driver friend Dopinder (Karan Soni). Ajax kidnaps Vanessa, leading Deadpool to rescue her and kill Ajax. They live happily ever after. The film ends with Deadpool’s obsession with Hugh Jackman, wearing Jackman’s face from People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” cover photo.

    Deadpool 2 (2018)

    In Deadpool 2, after fighting organized crime for two years, Wade fails to kill a target on his anniversary with Vanessa, who is then killed by the target. Grieving, Wade joins the X-Men. On a mission, Wade realizes an orphaned mutant child has been abused and kills a staff member. Both are sent to the Icebox prison, wearing power-suppressing collars. A time-traveling soldier, Cable (Josh Brolin), arrives to kill the boy, Russell, to save his future family. Wade escapes the Icebox with Cable’s help and forms X-Force to save Russell.

    Juggernaut helps Russell escape, attacking the convoy. Wade and Cable fight, but Juggernaut tears Deadpool in half and leaves with Russell. Wade heals and convinces Cable to give him a chance to save Russell. They confront Russell and Juggernaut at the orphanage. Colossus helps fight Juggernaut. Wade sacrifices himself to save Russell, wearing the power-suppressing collar, and dies. Vanessa appears in a vision, encouraging Wade’s sacrifice. Cable goes back in time, placing Vanessaโ€™s token in Wade’s strap, saving him. Wade forms a new X-Force team. Deadpool uses Cable’s time-travel device to alter history, not just to save his own life but to stop Vanessa’s death, to save the X-Force (so all those guys are alive again), and to kill his alternate timeline Weapon 11 self from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a scene that was shot with archive footage of Hugh Jackman, but technically the characters did appear in a scene together.

    Conclusion

    Deadpool and Wolverine came to be after Ryan Reynolds pitched Kevin Feige on dozens of ideas during the Disney-Fox acquisition. Feige’s hands were actually tied for a time due to lingering legal restrictions from the Fox X-Men films. They didn’t think Hugh Jackman would be back on board until Hugh Jackman took a drive with his kids to the beach in August 2022 and called Reynolds and said he was in, leading to an announcement video shot in Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s country home. What drew Hugh Jackman to the story was a chance to play a new version of Wolverine, one who would actually wear the yellow spandex, as well as Reynolds’ story pitch of a buddy comedy in the style of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The Wolverine in Deadpool and Wolverine is not the Wolverine we’ve seen before but is thematically consistent with the version of the character Hugh Jackman read in the comic books in Kevin Feige’s office back in 1999. This Wolverine comes from a different universe where he failed everyone. Reynolds and Jackman have promised not to retcon Logan’s death in the Logan movie, but it looks like this movie will revisit that gravesite near the Canadian border.

    The Fox X-Men universe is complete, and a new era is starting for X-Men fans.

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