Deadpool 3s Wolverine Variant Has Already Been Seen According To Wild MCU Phase 5 Theory
Hugh Jackman may be portraying a different version of his iconic clawed mutant in Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, but one MCU theory suggests audiences might have already seen this upcoming incarnation. Shortly after Disney acquired mutants and the X-Men from 20th Century Fox in 2019, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds confirmed that his fourth wall-breaking antihero would be making the permanent move to the MCU proper. Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine was officially announced in 2021, which was followed in 2022 with the surprising reveal that Jackman would also be reprising his retired role of Wolverine from Fox’s X-Men franchise.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s first official trailer provided a more detailed glimpse at Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine in the MCU. This included showing off his comic-accurate, yellow-and-blue costume, and delving deeper into his and Reynolds’ Deadpool’s adventure through the multiverse, and battle against Emma Corrin’s terrifying Cassandra Nova. Deadpool & Wolverine’s trailer also teased the idea that Jackman may not be portraying the same Wolverine that audiences know from Fox’s X-Men franchise. However, one wild MCU theory implies Jackman won’t be playing a completely new version of the beloved X-Men member, as Wolverine’s animated counterpart may make his live-action debut.
While Marvel Studios prepares to introduce some iconic X-Men characters into the live-action MCU, Marvel Studios Animation’s X-Men ’97 has caught up with the heroes of X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s. X-Men ’97’s creator, Beau DeMayo, may have been fired from Marvel Studios, but has still been vocal about his involvement in the series. After Ryan Reynolds shared a poster for Deadpool & Wolverine on April 21, 2024, Beau DeMayo responded by suggesting he is “passing the baton” to Reynolds. This suggests X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine may be connected, and one new theory may explain how.
The idea that X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine may be connected has spurred speculation that Hugh Jackman may be set to bring X-Men ’97’s animated Wolverine into live-action in the MCU’s Phase 5. However, this could spell bad news for the upcoming three-part finale of X-Men ’97, as something tragic seems to have befallen Wolverine’s home reality in Deadpool & Wolverine. The Phase 5 project’s first official trailer teased the idea that Wolverine let down his world, perhaps causing the deaths of the X-Men, and making him vulnerable enough to be recruited by Deadpool and the Time Variance Authority.
One theory posed by blurayangel suggests that X-Men ’97’s highly-anticipated finale could feature the deaths of the X-Men, except for Wolverine. This devastating storyline could pick up in Deadpool & Wolverine, with Jackman depicting the clawed mutant in the aftermath of the X-Men’s defeat. This wouldn’t be the first time a character has made the move from animation to live-action, as Hayley Atwell made her live-action debut as Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness after first appearing in What If…?, but this could spell bad news for X-Men ’97’s titular team during their battle against Bastion.
The theory of Hugh Jackman portraying X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97’s version of Wolverine in the live-action Deadpool & Wolverine has become a popular one. It remained unclear why only Wolverine would be making this move, however, but this new theory could explain why the other members of the X-Men team are missing. Of course, the X-Men team dying in X-Men ’97’s finale, and Wolverine embarking on a mission of his own in Deadpool & Wolverine, raises questions about the animated series’ future, especially since X-Men ’97 seasons 2 and 3 are already in development at Marvel Studios.
While Deadpool & Wolverine’s trailers have provided a glimpse at the multiversal adventure for its titular heroes, many details about the upcoming project’s storyline are still uncertain. It’s very possible that Deadpool and Wolverine could find a way to reverse the X-Men’s deaths at the end of X-Men ’97 season 1, allowing Wolverine to return home and set out on new adventures with his animated family. Wolverine letting down his world seems to be a major weight on his shoulders in Deadpool & Wolverine, so it makes sense that the Phase 5 movie will take steps to reverse this damage.
