10 Things The MCU Wolverine Needs To Do Differently

Following Hugh Jackman’s appearance in Deadpool 3, Marvel is expected to get a new version of Wolverine that is unique to the MCU. Hugh Jackman has been playing Wolverine since X-Men came out in 2000, and – over the past 24 years – has put his stamp firmly on the character, being the version of the character most people likely imagine when they think of the superhero. As such, if Marvel wants their iteration of Wolverine to stand out, they will need to depict him differently. Luckily, Marvel Comics has a lot of ways to help with that.

Though Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine dominates the popular consciousness, the comic book version of the character is pretty different, as Jackman’s version is a lot more polished in some ways. This is likely a remnant of him stemming from the original Fox X-Men film, which shied away from being too loyal to the comics. Audiences have proven much more receptive to wacky comic book characters like Rocket Raccoon since then, so Marvel is probably safe to do a more accurate Wolverine that is a bit more on the wild side in the MCU timeline.

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Deadpool 3 Is Making The MCU’s Next Wolverine Debut Even Harder

Hugh Jackman’s return to his iconic role is exciting for several reasons, but part of Deadpool 3 is set to give the MCU’s next Wolverine a challenge.

10 Wolverine Should Be Shorter Than Other Heroes

Hugh Jackman Is A Foot Taller Than Wolverine’s Canon Height Of 5’3”

Wolverine has always been short in Marvel Comics. While a character’s physical appearance and relative height aren’t always necessarily a big deal when casting, Wolverine’s height has always played into how his character’s personality is portrayed. Wolverine can sometimes feel like a wild animal when he’s in a fight. His height and hunched stance help sell him as being akin to the creature that is his namesake – the type of predator that can take down other animals much larger than itself.

Casting a shorter actor wouldn’t just play into Wolverine’s characterization, but also help differentiate him from Jackman’s version. It would also make him feel distinct from other Marvel heroes, who are usually taller than 5’3”.

9 Wolverine Needs To Use More Of His Powers

Wolverine Is More Than Claws And Healing

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is mostly seen using his claws and relying on his healing factor. However, Wolverine has more powers in the comics that haven’t got as much attention in film. For instance, Wolverine has an enhanced sense of smell, allowing him to recognize people by their scent alone and track them. He also has enhanced eyesight and can see things from far distances or notice details others don’t.

Wolverine’s sharp senses make him an excellent tracker. He can also be much stealthier than one might expect, meaning he is good at springing ambushes on his enemies. These are skills that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine didn’t necessarily show off as much, likely because they would have made him seem less human. Marvel might want to lean into them for the MCU version, both to stay true to the comics and to be different.

8 Wolverine Shouldn’t Be The Main Focus

Wolverine Was Often The Lead In Fox’s X-Men

A common complaint of Fox’s X-Men movies was that they were too often focused on Wolverine. While Wolverine is an interesting character who is more than capable of carrying a story, Marvel would be smart to make it clear that he is one of many great X-Men characters. That way, they don’t over inflate his popularity and can keep audiences interested in X-Men projects that don’t have Wolverine in them.

Luckily, the MCU is built for this kind of storytelling. One character can easily go from being the star of their own movie to a background player in another. Even if Wolverine is the focus of a certain movie, throwing him in as a background player in another is a good way to let him share the spotlight instead of stealing the show.

7 Wolverine’s Rage Should Be More Uncontrollable

Wolverine Sometimes Loses Full Control In Marvel Comics

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would frequently get angry in the X-Men films, but it never felt like a true version of Wolverine’s Berserker Rage. He felt more like a figure with a hot temper, but the audience was usually made to empathize strongly with Wolverine’s anger when it came out. Though this was good for making the character relatable, it did make him feel far less dangerous.

The MCU could easily make their Wolverine stand out by having his rages be less under control. Wolverine should maybe go a little too far sometimes, and need to be reined in by his teammates. This would also show the positive impact that being part of the X-Men has on Wolverine.

6 Wolverine Should Show His Age In His Personality

Wolverine Is Hundreds Of Years Old

Wolverine isn’t meant to be a genius, especially not by Marvel standards. However, he has been alive for hundreds of years, which means he should feel very experienced, with a perspective and wisdom that most characters in the MCU don’t. This wouldn’t just make him a valuable asset outside of fight scenes, but also show a different side to the character.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine barely showed his advanced age through the way he acted. He typically felt like someone who was in the middle of living his first lifetime, not someone who had seen the world change drastically over the years. Giving viewers a better sense of Wolverine’s history would make him a more interesting character and explore new ground that Fox didn’t really cover.

5 Wolverine Should Be More Animalistic

Wolverine Is Often Depicted With Animal-Like Characteristics

One negative result of Fox focusing too much on Wolverine was that they morphed him into a more generic lead character. Some of his more animalistic tendencies were toned down for the sake of relatability, but this also made the character less unique, as many of these traits are the kinds of things that give Wolverine so much personality on the page.

However, that isn’t to say Wolverine should go completely wild. Marvel Comics did go a little too far at points with Wolverine’s feral state, which made him feel like a completely different character. That said, there is a sweet spot somewhere between a slightly grumpy Hugh Jackman and a completely wild animal.

4 Wolverine Needs More Allies That Aren’t X-Men

Fox Didn’t Have The Film Rights For Crossovers

Fox obviously couldn’t show Wolverine interacting with other Marvel heroes due to rights issues. Now that this is no longer an issue, the MCU has a chance to show how Wolverine interacts with the wider MCU. This is a chance Marvel needs to take advantage of, instead of limiting Wolverine to appearances in X-Men films.

Spider-Man and Wolverine have a great odd-couple relationship in Marvel Comics. Whether in conflict or working together, their personalities complement each other nicely, and their fighting styles are different enough to make for interesting confrontations. Wolverine has also had good relationships with Nick Fury and Captain America in the comics. While the version of Cap Wolverine usually gets along with is Steve Rogers, the MCU could easily pair him up with Sam Wilson now the latter hero has taken on the mantle.

3 Wolverine Should Mentor Kitty Pryde

Wolverine And Kitty Pryde Have Been Close Comic Book Allies

Wolverine has plenty of relationships in the X-Men that are worthy of being examined in the MCU. One of his closest, however, is one that the movies haven’t really delved into much. In the comics, Wolverine has had a close relationship with Kitty Pryde since the ’80s, starting as her mentor, but eventually growing into equals. Kitty has even acted as Logan’s bodyguard sometimes.

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine’s relationship was never really explored by the Fox’s X-Men movies. This wasn’t helped by Fox changing the X-Men: Days of Future Past story to largely remove Kitty’s involvement. The MCU would be smart to mine some of Wolverine’s other relationships on the team, especially his relationship as a mentor to younger X-Men. This way, the MCU can avoid rehashing the tired love triangle plot involving Logan, Scott, and Jean.

2 Wolverine Should Be Played By A Younger Actor

Hugh Jackman Is Currently 55 Years Old

Not all actors joining the MCU need to be young. For example, Pedro Pascal’s rumored casting as Reed Richards seems like an appropriate age for the character to be. That being said, Marvel will probably want to go younger with their Wolverine casting for a few reasons.

Wolverine is essentially immortal, so from a storytelling perspective, it would make sense to get an actor who will continue to look relatively young for a while. From a practical standpoint, Wolverine is likely a role that will be more physically demanding, given his particular power set. As such, Marvel will want someone who can keep up with the action for as long as they want Wolverine in the MCU.

1 Wolverine’s Costumes Need To Be More Fun

Wolverine Will Get His Yellow Costume In Deadpool 3 (2023)

The Fox X-Men movies were very specific about how they adapted superhero costumes, avoiding colorful outfits in lieu of generally all-black leather ensembles instead. As the X-Men join the MCU, Marvel will likely want to lean more heavily on their unique individual designs to help them stand out in crossover movies.

For Wolverine, this would likely mean his iconic yellow and blue costume, similar to what he’s getting in Deadpool & Wolverine. Logan also has a history of wearing a similar yellow and brown costume, which could also work. Whatever Marvel does, however, they should avoid putting Logan in plain clothes or generic jumpsuits. When Wolverine shows up in a future Avengers movie, Marvel will want him to be easily recognizable and stand out during the chaotic action scenes.