Wolverineis one of the most popular heroes in theMarvel Cinematic Universenow that Hugh Jackman has joined the franchise, but the actor’s legacy as the mutant spans decades before his MCU debut. Jackman’s version of Logan grew to be the main character ofFox’s X-Men movies. As such, he was the only one to have a spinoff franchise of his own.Jackman starred in the Wolverine trilogybefore he moved over to the MCU.
So far,Deadpool & Wolverinestands as his only entry in the franchise. However, since it has become one of theMCU’s best movies,Jackman is expected to return for more. Be that through the MCU’s upcoming Avengers films in the Multiverse Saga, aDeadpool & Wolverinesequel, or a role in the X-Men movie reboot. Before looking into Jackman’s Wolverine future, a look at his past is required, as it shows how well Wolverine was used in some projects, while in others, not so much.
11X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Released In 2009 - Wolverine Trilogy
There are some good parts in Jackman’s first solo movie as Wolverine. The biggest positive aspect of the movie is howit plays with the Sabretooth and Wolverine relationship. Making them brothers turned rivals works wonders for the film.
If only the rest was as good,X-Men Origins: Wolverinecould have ranked higher on the list. However, that does not happen to be the case. Witha botched Deadpool, many controversial source material changes, an uneven script, and spotty CGI, it is not very good.
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All of those reasons make the filmthe most criticized out of the live-action X-Men movies. Its failure single-handedly killed the planned “Origins” label for the franchise. While he was the star of the movie, Jackman’s two subsequent Wolverine solo entries would be better than the first.
10X-Men: Apocalypse
Released In 2016 - Younger X-Men Franchise
Jackman’s Wolverine is the most popular live-action mutant Fox had. As such, that led to the characterpopping up for several cameos after the original X-Men trilogy was done. Due toX-Men Origins: Wolverine’s poor handling of a major hero, it ranks below the cameos.
The first of the Wolverine cameos on the list comes fromX-Men: Apocalypse. The younger X-Men franchise showed snippets of what Logan was up to as it went along. In the film, Fox decided to includethe longest of Logan’s cameos.
Turned into Weapon X, a nod to his comic book origin, Wolverine was more animal than man. Jean Grey releases him, and Logan swiftly slices through an army, making life easier for the X-Men. To end it, Jean restores his memory, setting up their future bond.
9Deadpool 2
Released In 2018 - Deadpool Franchise
Wolverine’s cameo at the end ofDeadpool 2is shorter than his role in the previous entry on the list. However, it is one of the funniest uses of the character in live-action. The scene alsoreunited Wolverine with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool.
This time, Reynolds got to play a comic book-accurate Deadpool. Using Cable’s time-traveling device, he went back to a few key moments in history. That led to himrepeatedly shooting the Wade Wilson fromX-Men Origins: Wolverine, informally known as Barakapool among fans.
WhileJackman did not return to shoot new Wolverine scenes, the use of archival footage was effective. Logan reacts to Deadpool’s surprise arrival, while Reynolds' Merc With a Mouth makes sure his earlier counterpart is dead. The scene builds excitement for their future meeting.
8X-Men: First Class
Released In 2011 - Younger X-Men Franchise
The final Wolverine cameo on the list comes in the form ofJackman’s first foray into the younger X-Men franchise. After Wolverine dominated the screen time in the original X-Men movies, a franchise change was necessary, so he was mostly absent moving forward.
Fox knew it had to explain why Wolverine was not inX-Men: First Classto audiences. The studio decided to do so in the most hilarious fashion. AsMagneto and Charles Xavier go around recruiting mutants, they meet Logan in a bar and ask him.
Before they can say more than their names,Wolverine cuts them off, saying, “Go f-ck yourself.“It is very much in line with the character. Albeit brief, the Wolverine appearance ranks higher than others because it is iconic, funny, and captures Logan’s essence.
7The Wolverine
Released In 2013 - Wolverine Trilogy
The Wolverinewas the second of Jackman’s solo movies as Logan. It wasa notable step up from its predecessor. However,The Wolverinelacked the excitement that had come to be expected from Jackman’s take on the famous Marvel mutant.
Sure, there was a lot of action throughout. That, mixed with some intriguing ideas that offereda look at Logan’s pastand provided nice character development, madeThe Wolverinerise above the entries that came before it on the list.
However, the film pretty much crumbles by its third act.The Silver Samurai fight has its moments, but it is more CGI mess than jaw-dropping action. Logan’s second solo movie developed the character’s psyche more, but it lacked the necessary scope of a Wolverine-centric story.
6X-Men: The Last Stand
Released In 2006 - Original X-Men Franchise
While the original X-Men trilogy was more consistent in quality than the younger version of the franchise, it still had one meandering movie. That happened to beX-Men: The Last Stand. The movie wasproblematic on multiple fronts, impacting major characters.
Cyclops' death out of the blue is just one of the movie’s main issues. A disjointed story thatdoes not fully dedicate itself to the Dark Phoenix storylinenor the mutant cure element pushes the movie down the list. Where Wolverine is concerned, things were a little better.
The movie ranks midway on the list due to how impactful it was for Logan. There is a strong emotional core that defines Jackman’s Marvel hero.Wolverine is forced to kill Jean Grey, the woman he loves, as she begs him to do it so she will not kill everyone due to the Phoenix. It is dark and sad, showing Wolverine’s tragedy well.
5X-Men
Released In 2000 - Original X-Men Trilogy
2000’sX-Menhad to be one of the movies highest on the list. The film wasthe first live-action X-Men movieand Wolverine appearance. As such, it has historical meaning for Jackman’s time as Wolverine, also doing great things for Logan.
While Cyclops is the X-Men’s field leader in the comics,X-Menwould make Wolverine the most popular character.Jackman’s Wolverine had many memorable moments throughout. From rescuing Rogue and showing a softer side with her to Logan’s bravado fighting Sabretooth, many layers of the character are displayed.
Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine but had to drop out due to commitments with the Mission: Impossible franchise.
The film allowed Jackman to showcase his ability tomake Wolverine an unstoppable killing machine with a heart. It serves as the foundation for a 25-year and counting career for the actor in the Marvel universe. As such,X-Menis one of Jackman’s best Wolverine appearances.
4X2
Released In 2003 - Original X-Men Franchise
After Jackman’s Wolverine proved himself the breakout character of 2000’sX-Men,X2went ahead and put him front and center. With the arrival of Brian Cox’s William Stryker,Wolverine’s past was explored for the first time on the big screen.
The film devotes a sizable portion of its story to Logan’s inner turmoil. Having lived years with missing memories, Wolverine’s origin story,how he received his Adamantium skeleton, the pain he went through, and all that Stryker did make for a tragic storyline for Jackman’s character.
Still,X2is a film that leads to Logan reclaiming his life and his history. By the end of the film, Jackman’s Marvel mutant has remembered key parts of his past, made peace with his situation, andgotten revenge on Stryker. That leads to it being one of Wolverine’s most important appearances.
3X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Released In 2014 - Younger X-Men Franchise
Jackman’s top three Wolverine appearances so far are all among the best superhero movies of all time. While the actordid not play a big role in most of the films in the younger X-Men franchise,X-Men: Days of Future Pastwas the exception.
Not only was Wolverine part of the film, but he was its main character.The story united the original and younger X-Men timelines, allowing characters from both to appear and some to even interact. Thrown back into the past to prevent a dystopian future, Wolverine had a vital mission for mutants.
The movie scratched the itch for those who had been waiting years for Wolverine to lead an X-Men film again. It allowed Jackman to show that even surrounded by an entirely new cast of mutants, he could still function as the franchise’s lead star. Wolverine’s arc in the film andthe poetic ending with Cyclops and Jean Grey alivewere fantastic.
2Deadpool & Wolverine
Released In 2024 - Deadpool Franchise / MCU
In second place comes Jackman’s latest appearance as Wolverine. While it seemed like he had left the role behind years prior,Jackman never hid his desire to join the MCU. 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinegave him an opportunity to do so in a major way.
Jackman played a new version of the character.The MCU’s Wolverine started as a mutant who had failed the rest of the X-Men. He was a disappointment to his world and was in a pretty dark place. By the end of the film, Wolverine became a hero and saved Deadpool’s universe.
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Adding to that, the filmmarked Jackman’s first time wearing Wolverine’s iconic yellow X-Men suitfrom the comics. With plenty of emotional beats and bloody R-rated fights, Wolverine was serviced well by Marvel Studios. It stands to reason Jackman will return to the franchise after the film’s success.
