Cutting one Wolverine variant from Deadpool & Wolverine meant that Henry Cavill’s shocking MCU debut avoided being undermined by a more interesting version of the clawed X-Men member. Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine was jam-packed with multiversal variants, as well as focusing on developing the story of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. This meant there wasn’t time to include all the exciting and hilarious variants that were originally planned for the movie, but one Wolverine who did appear might be grateful for that.
Wade Wilson’s own variants had a fairly large role in Deadpool & Wolverine, as the Deadpool Corps battled the titular mutant heroes in service of Emma Corrin’s sinister Cassandra Nova. Wolverine’s MCU variants also delivered the entertainment factor, harking back to some of Logan’s most iconic Marvel Comics stories. Perhaps his most crucial comic storyline was ignored, however, but Wolverine’s history with the Weapon X program, where he received his adamantium enhancements, was almost explored in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Weapon X Wolverine Variant Would Have Taken Away From Henry Cavill’s Cameo Reveal
Henry Cavill’s Appearance As A Wolverine Variant Has Been Praised
Marvel Studios concept artist Phil Saunders revealed in September 2024 that he had worked on drawings of a Wolverine variant who was in the process of escaping from the Weapon X facility. This would have explored the events of Barry Windsor Smith’s Marvel Studios Presents #79 from 1991, the cover of which directly inspired Saunders’ art, with Wolverine sporting a clunky, 1980s-style helmet with a large pink visor across the eyes. While it would have been incredible to see this variant in live-action, it would have taken focus away from another important debut.
Dubbed the “Cavillrine” by Wade Wilson, Henry Cavill made the move from DC to Marvel in Deadpool & Wolverine to appear as a variant of Hugh Jackman’s iconic hero. Cavill is only the third actor to portray Wolverine in live-action, and his brief portrayal of the character has been praised, spurring theories that he could return as the MCU’s official Wolverine, though there has been some dispute. Including the Weapon X Wolverine variant would have taken a lot of the attention away from Cavill’s MCU debut, as more questions would have been raised.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Weapon X Variant Would’ve Raised More X-Men Timeline Questions
20th Century Fox Explored Wolverine’s Weapon X History On A Number Of Occasions
The timeline and continuity of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise has always been a hot topic of discussion. Fox rewrote history several times, created major plot holes and continuity errors that became confusing over time, and established new timelines with new characters. Consequently, Wolverine’s escape from the Weapon X facility has already been seen twice on-screen, which means that introducing another version of this Wolverine could have convoluted the franchise’s already complex timeline even more.
2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine detailed Logan’s backstory with Victor Creed, William Stryker and Team X. Origins was a huge disappointment for Fox’s X-Men franchise, leading to Wolverine’s origin story being hinted at being more comic-accurate in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, which was set during the 1980s. This version saw Logan sporting a more faithful Weapon X costume, but still could have been more comic-accurate. It seems Deadpool & Wolverine’s Weapon X Wolverine would have been an entirely new iteration, which may have caused some unnecessary confusion.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Variant Roster Was Perfect In The Final Film
Deadpool & Wolverine Included Many Variants Of Its Titular Heroes
While Deadpool & Wolverine had the perfect opportunity to explore the weirdness and endless possibilities of the multiverse, at its core, it was the story of Earth-10005’s Wade Wilson trying to save his found family back home. This meant that, while many would have wanted to see a constant stream of exciting and unusual variants appear in the movie, Deadpool & Wolverine was better off being somewhat restricted. The movie seemed to strike the perfect balance, giving us many Deadpool and Wolverine variants without overwhelming the audience or including variants just for the sake of it.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s
Deadpool Corps included the likes of Lady Deadpool, Cowboypool, Kidpool, Zenpool, Babypool, Headpool, Deadpool 2099 and many more, adapted from the Deadpool Corps of Marvel Comics’ 2010 multiverse storylines.
Wolverine’s variants, in particular, delivered some incredible moments that spurred laughter and awe from audiences. The likes of Old Man Logan, Age of Apocalypse’s one-armed Wolverine, and a short, comic-accurate version of the mutant, among others, were great to see. Henry Cavill’s Wolverine stole the show, however, but this might have been very different had a Weapon X Wolverine been introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine. Marvel Studios made the right choice to keep the movie’s variants streamlined, though the door is open for more to appear in the MCU’s future.