The trailers for Deadpool & Wolverine definitely raise more questions than they answer. The plot of this long-awaited third Deadpool movie is still shrouded in mystery, and it’s only with the release of the full trailer that we’ve even gotten a good look at Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. But which Wolverine is this, anyway?
That’s probably the biggest question surrounding the new trailer. So let’s take a closer look at the evidence and why this might not be a version of Logan we’ve ever seen before. And while we’re at it, what does Wolverine have in common with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki? Here’s what we know.
Which Version of Wolverine Is This?
Trying to make sense of the convoluted X-Men movie timeline is far easier said than done. In some ways, that cinematic universe just doesn’t fit together. But the gist is that there are two distinct timelines in Fox’s X-Men universe. The first consists of everything through 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. The events of DoFP create an alternate timeline that paves the way for 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, 2019’s Dark Phoenix and, finally, the bleak and depressing endcap that is 2017’s Logan. No matter which timeline you choose, it seems things are destined to end in death and misery for the X-Men.
So, which timeline is this Wolverine being pulled from? The evidence in the new trailer seems to point to this being a post-Days of Future Past, pre-Logan version of the character. We see him mourning the X-Men in front of a series of massive gravestones, suggesting this flashback scene is after the ailing Professor Xavier accidentally killed his students in a psychic attack. It’s possible Deadpool & Wolverine will do what Logan didn’t and showcase that tragic event rather than simply alluding to it.
Another telltale clue is that Logan is having trouble popping his claws (“Whiskey d*** of the claws,” as Wade sums it up). The version of Wolverine in Logan had similar problems. This Wolverine isn’t quite as haggard and physically broken as he is in Logan, but he’s well on his way.
These signs point to the idea that Deadpool recruits Wolverine a few months or years before the events of the Logan movie. However, another possibility is being floated by some fans. What if this Wolverine is from a third timeline we haven’t seen before?
In the original X-Men movie timeline, Logan leaves the team for years after the events of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, before finally being re-recruited by Xavier and Magneto in the post-credits scene of 2013’s The Wolverine. Wolverine plays an instrumental role in helping the X-Men rewrite history and eliminate the threat of the Sentinels. But what if this Wolverine never agreed to rejoin the X-Men? What if our mutant heroes fail to change the past because of that, leaving a guilt-ridden Wolverine to mourn his fallen comrades?
These latter two options are certainly intriguing possibilities, and both gel with Ryan Reynolds’ previous comments about this Wolverine being “something completely new.” It would also help Deadpool & Wolverine sidestep any concerns about potentially undoing the events of the Logan movie and erasing the character’s noble sacrifice at the end. This incarnation of Wolverine may share similarities with the Logan version, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same character.
It’s also entirely possible the film will keep things vague. If you want to believe this is Logan’s Wolverine, you can. But if you’d prefer that this is a brand new version of the character, go for it.
Either way, the end result is pretty much the same. This is a Wolverine forced to watch as his loved ones die and carry on alone in a world that hates and fears him. He’s a man filled with pain and regret, and that’s where Deadpool and the TVA step in.
Could Wolverine Be the New Loki?
The first Deadpool & Wolverine trailer showed Reynolds’ Wade Wilson being recruited by the Time Variance Authority. In the second, we get a slightly better idea of why Wade wants to recruit Logan to fight alongside him. Wade has no experience in saving the world, let alone the entire multiverse. The previous two Deadpool movies were smaller in scope, with Wade being motivated by revenge or the desire to save those close to him. He’s too selfish to be a true superhero, in other words. He clearly hopes fighting alongside Wolverine will give him a crash course in playing the hero. Unfortunately, this Wolverine seems too disillusioned and heartbroken to be of much help.
It’s hard not to be reminded of Marvel’s Loki series here. The show opens with the 2012 version of Loki being apprehended by the TVA following his escape in Avengers: Endgame. Loki is then shown a highlight reel of the many triumphs and tragedies that befall him in the future, culminating in his death at Thanos’ hands in Avengers: Infinity War. This glimpse of the future comes as a shock to the self-absorbed god of mischief, sparking a profound transformation in him. Over the course of the series, Loki learns to place the good of the multiverse over his own desires, culminating in a truly selfless sacrifice in the series finale.
Will Wolverine undergo a similar transformation when he’s inducted into the service of the TVA? Will he also be shown glimpses of his future or alternate universe selves as a way of piercing through his crippling depression?
If this is the version of Wolverine from Logan, the TVA might show him the events of the movie and how he learns to become the father figure and protector Dafne Keen’s Laura needs. If this a Wolverine who never rejoins the X-Men for Days of Future Past, maybe the TVA will show the events of that film and the hero he could have become. And if this is a more Old Man Logan-inspired version of the character, the TVA might show him glimpses of other universes where he was the hero the world needed.
Whatever this Wolverine’s backstory is, there’s almost certainly going to be a scene where he undergoes the same crash course in Marvel history that Loki did before him. He’ll be shown proof that he can still be a noble hero to help motivate him to take up the good fight once more. That’s not to say Wolverine will be immediately shaken out of his funk, any more than Loki immediately transformed into a selfless leader in his series. But the TVA will plant the seeds, and eventually Logan will get his mutant groove back in the movie. Deadpool & Wolverine is all about redemption for this disillusioned former X-Man and his wise-cracking partner.
Deadpool and Wolverine vs. Cassandra Nova
We still don’t know a great deal about the plot of Deadpool & Wolverine after the new trailer. Marvel continues to play things pretty close to the vest here. We do know that the TVA recruits Deadpool to help defend the multiverse from an existential threat, and Deadpool in turn seeks out Wolverine’s help.
We may see Wade travel to many Earths in search of the best possible Logan as a partner. The original teaser trailer shows a glimpse of Wolverine in a casino in his Patch persona. This could be another variant of the character, possibly even played by a different actor. The movie could introduce several Wolverine variants before Wade finally settles on the broken-down, world-weary version we see in the main trailer. This would be a great opportunity to include an older version of Dafne Keen’s X-23 as one Wolverine variant.
From there, it appears that much of the conflict in Deadpool & Wolverine takes place in The Void, the barren realm where all the relics of dead timelines are sent to be devoured by the monstrous Alioth. As in Old Man Logan, it appears that Wolverine is embarking on a road trip of sorts, only in this case his partner is Deadpool, not Hawkeye. The trailer shows some Mad Max-style vehicular combat, including the return of Red Skull’s souped-up muscle car from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Wherever Wade and Logan are headed, they’re going to face an uphill battle in getting there.
So how does Cassandra Nova fit in? She appears to be the ringleader of a group of mutant villains struggling to stay alive after their universe is pruned. We can clearly see a half-buried 20th Century Fox logo in the sand, so it may be that Fox’s entire X-Men universe is being consigned to the wastebin of the Marvel multiverse. Cassandra and her minions are the last dying gasp of a once-proud universe.
In the aftermath of the Loki series, the TVA is no longer dedicated to preserving the one Sacred Timeline, but instead allowing the multiverse to grow and flourish along its natural course. Some branching timelines must be eliminated for the greater good. Cassandra Nova may want to stay alive, but fate has decreed that she and her timeline must be wiped away. For Deadpool, stopping her is the only way to safeguard his home universe and those he loves. For Wolverine, battling Cassandra Nova is a way to atone for his failures as an X-Man. It’s a bigger fight than either hero has ever faced before, and it’s one that might just leave them in a perfect place to help out during the events of Avengers: Secret Wars.
For more on Deadpool & Wolverine, brush up on the history of Cassandra Nova and see all the Marvel movies and shows in development.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
