A note to readers: this article contains spoilers about all the X-Men movies, Logan, Deadpool 1, Deadpool 2, Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel fans late to the box office, beware!
After the groundbreaking release of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the expectations and excitement of Marvel fans were running at an all-time high. From cosplaying at Comic-Con to taking over Tik Tok to create a community of fellow Marvel lovers, Marvel’s fan base had no idea what to expect for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These two show-stopping movies brought Marvel’s Phase Three to a close, ending a three-year series of Marvel movies and allowing Phase Four to commence.
With Endgame ending without its ritual post-credit scene to let fans know what to anticipate next, Phase Four began as an era of younger superheroes from more diverse backgrounds taking the screen. Recently having been labeled as the start of the Multiverse Saga, Phase Four has allowed characters and fans alike to travel the multiverse, revisit old characters and watch the MCU rebuild after the events of Endgame. Beginning in January 2021 with the release of Marvel’s first TV series “WandaVision” and ending in November 2022 with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” this phase built the anticipation for works that will be released during Phase Five and Phase Six.
Amid all this action, Marvel had not forgotten some of its most beloved projects, including Deadpool and Wolverine (from the X-Men franchise), which range from chaotic and comedic to somber and dark. In his video last month, Ryan Reynolds, the actor who plays Deadpool, confirmed Deadpool 3’s release date, alleviating confusion among fans. Along with this news came the announcement that Hugh Jackman would be returning to reprise his role as Logan, more commonly known as Wolverine, which floored fans.
In 2017’s “Logan”, Logan’s time ended with his heartbreaking death as a result of protecting his daughter, Laura. As many within the fan community grew attached to this multifaceted character, bringing back Logan brings out excitement and confusion about how he will be returning to the franchise after his death.
For anyone who is a Marvel fan or simply an X-Men fan, it is obvious why this announcement heralds one of Marvel’s greatest feats. Marvel and X-Men fans are enthusiastically anticipating more emotional, character-driven arcs to immerse themselves in. To start, Logan’s story is one of Marvel’s most heartbreaking yet fascinating tales. His story can be tracked through a list of movies, but for those who lack the time to watch them all, here is a rundown from start to finish of Logan and Deadpool’s life.
Logan at a glance
James Howlett, later known as Logan or Wolverine, was born in Canada in 1832. He and his older half-brother, Victor, were raised there. As a young teen, James’ mutation of his bone claws and healing factor was revealed when he killed his father. Soon after, he ran away from home with his brother, Victor.
Taking up his father’s middle name, Logan, James fought in several wars alongside Victor. He earned his code name, Wolverine, in the army. His healing factor, a mutation that allows him to recover from any injury and prevent death, made him impossible to kill. This mutation turns one’s body into the equivalent of a power plant, preventing inebriation when drinking, giving the ability to run without getting tired, and granting immunity to toxins and poisons.
The rest of Logan’s life is a complex story filled with several beautiful and heartbreaking moments that unravel the complexity of who he is, while providing comfort that perhaps we are not alone in our battles.
Fans who are interested can watch the X-Men movies and a more detailed account of Logan’s life through Disney+.
Wade Wilson at a glance
While Deadpool’s movies do not provide as much exposition as Logan’s, make no mistake in believing that life treated him any kinder than Logan. Born as Wade Wilson, he describes growing up facing abuse, pain, and other unthinkable things that a child does not deserve, in a brief conversation with Vanessa, his love interest. These scenes are presented early in the movie to establish this relationship and the impact it had on Wade’s life early on.
The first Deadpool movie opens with Wade working as a mercenary, hunting down people who do cruel things to others (pedophiles, rapists, etc.) to advocate for others in a way he was never advocated for. His story as Deadpool begins with being diagnosed with life-threatening cancer and unravels as he fights to preserve his life and time with Vanessa.
The rest of Wade’s story, while being more comedic in his movies, expresses the power of love along with several themes of strength, friendship, kindness and the importance of maintaining one’s morals.
Fans who are interested can watch the X-Men movies and a more detailed account of Logan’s life through Disney+ and HuluPlus.
Wade and Logan united
While a variant of Wade is present in the X-Men movies, it is not the mainstream version of him. In Deadpool 2, Wade uses the time travel device given to him by his friends to travel through time in his universe and in others. Wade returns to a moment of one of Logan’s battles. When he arrives and sees Logan, he says, “Just cleaning up the timeline. Look, eventually, you’re going to hang up the claws and make a lot of people very sad. But one day, your old pal Wade is going to ask you to get back in the saddle again. And when he does, say yes!”
This foreshadowing created anticipation in fans across the world, desperate to see Logan and Wade interact with one another. Logan is a snarky, arrogant and consistently annoyed alcoholic. Some may call him old-fashioned, but this is part of his charm. Underneath his tough exterior, it is evident that he is loyal, protective, and kind to those he cares about. Wade too displays acts and behaviors revealing his loyalty, protectiveness, selflessness and kind nature that many do not typically characterize him as. Wade is humorous, playful and charismatic; some might call him“unhinged.” Given that Wade’s variant frequently annoys Logan in the X-Men movies, many are excited to see these two completely different characters engage in immaculate, creative and entertaining banter.
In Reynolds’ second video, he describes a variant version of Logan who returns as they are leaving the storyline of Logan as is by not touching his death in his final movie. As the MCU has dipped into time travel and multiversal jumps, changing timelines seems to be a frequent pattern in Marvel’s works. Reynolds combated these theories by declaring that no timeline changes will take place, leaving fans curious about how exactly Logan is coming into the MCU.
What makes Deadpool so entertaining to many people is the iconic feature of “breaking the fourth wall.” This term refers to a performance by which a media character is aware of an audience witnessing their life unravel. “Breaking the fourth wall” is often exemplified by the character constantly addressing the crowd, which makes Deadpool entertaining and engaging.
As a Marvel fan, witnessing the grumpiness of Logan and the bubbliness of Wade in a Marvel piece will be a highlight of the Marvel company. Expect to see Deadpool 3 in theaters on Nov. 8, 2024 (the movie’s release was delayed for unknown reasons). Be prepared for the abundance of funny moments and R-rated jokes that define each of the movies. Logan and Wade are more than a comedic duo. They are deep and charismatic characters who face turmoil in a beautiful way. Perhaps we are not so different from our unlikely heroes, as they, too, are human and face the same struggles we do.
