The Marvel Cinematic Universe will bringDeadpool & Wolverineinto the franchise, with everything that implies. The current multiverse gimmick offers the franchise’s creative minds and pursestring holders the chance to invent and reinvent endless ideas. Deadpool’s hotly anticipated third outing will explore several familiar characters and locations from the MCU and its former rivals, but there’s one iconic film it likely won’t touch. The ending ofLoganmust stay in place, but the world doesn’t have to end with Wolverine’s story.
Theidea of a sendofffeels outdated in the modern era. It’s too clean, graceful, and restrained for the Hollywood machine. Franchise media resurrects deceased actors for little more than a cheap pop of recognition. They digitally de-age actors to keep their stars alive forever. They bring out legacy sequels no one wants, carefully avoiding the risk of a new idea. It’s hard to feel much for a beloved character if their heartfelt funeral doesn’t feel final. Of course, comic book movies inherited this problem from their source material.
Shawn Levy
Writers
Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy
Release Date
May 23, 2025
According to everyone involved,Deadpool & Wolverinewill have nothing to do with James Mangold’sLogan. This was the first and biggest concern when Ryan Reynolds announced thereturn of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverinein the upcoming sequel. Fans have dreamed of a crossover between the characters since the awful attempt at the concept explored inX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Jackman portrayed Wolverine for 17 years before giving him the best imaginable final chapter. Bringing Jackman’s Wolverine back for any reason runs the risk of invalidating the jaw-dropping conclusion of his best performance in it. Luckily, the Wolverine appearing inDeadpool & Wolverineisn’t the one fromLogan. He stepped out of an alternate universe, seemingly unrelatedto previousX-Menfilms. This guarantees the presence ofLogan’s ending, but it also leaves some fascinating open questions.
TheLoganTimeline Could Still Continue
TheX-Menmovies have a very confusing timeline. There shouldn’t be too much to figure out, but it still manages to create messes.Days of Future Pastcreated an alternate history whichplayed host toApocalypseandDark Phoenix.Loganis said to be a follow-up toDays of Future Past, but its internal history doesn’t add up. It’s a dark possible future set in 2029, specifically citing a 25-year gap since the last mutant was born.Logan’s world is futuristic, but almost entirely terrible. A single biotechnology corporation seems to have taken control over most of the world through quiet subterfuge. The heroes may defeat their personal rivals, but their only prize is peace.Loganpresents gritty, dangerous people who struggle to survive. They find a brief respite from killing and dying as the credits roll.Wolverine’s story endsinLogan, but there are a host of other characters who seem to find a fresh start. One example stands out.
Dafne Keen’s X-23 Deserves A Second Chance
Dafne Keen portrayed Logan’slab-grown daughter, Laura Kinney. She’s the best part of the film, a stunning performer in her big-screen debut. Laura rarely speaks, but her personality bleeds through her every movement. She’s a perfect successor to Wolverine, perhaps demonstrating a greater capacity to grow and change as she explores a new story. She comes with a team of other mutant teens, each of whom could deliver a fun supporting performance. Laura is dynamic, engaging, powerful, and open to new adventures. There are so many more stories for her to occupy.
There is a strong argument for leaving Dafne Keen’s Laura out of future installments. Her final message from her father insists that she never become the weapon they tried to turn her into. When she offers a eulogy, she quotes a line from a Western that calls for the end of violence.InLogan’s current state, it’s fair to believe that Laura and her friends escaped to Eden and never fought again. It is, however, bizarre to see the studios dredge up anything they can find and leave a mostly unexplored character in a distant timeline with no planned future. TheLogantimeline presents an opportunity to see a world without the X-Men. A new team can struggle to change the systems that broke them.
LeavingLogan’s ending untouched was the right choice.Deadpool & Wolverinewould have started with entirely the wrong energy if they’d undone the character’s perfect farewell. However,the end ofLogandoesn’t mean that the dark future he once occupied has to cease to exist. Logan has a perfect successor who could lead several new and exciting adventures in the dystopian future. Laura was a perfect character for her scenario, but she could become an icon with a run as long as her dad’s. Though fans may never seeLogan’s future again, it remains a fascinating world from which to build.
