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James Howlett, known as Logan and by his codename Wolverine, is a superhero character who originated as the main protagonist and central figure of 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series, and has appeared in nine films since his introduction in X-Men (2000), including both ensemble and solo films. He is portrayed by Hugh Jackman and is based on the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, created by Len Wein and John Romita Sr. Jackman later portrayed multiple alternate "variants" of Logan from the multiverse in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), produced by Marvel Studios and set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with Troye Sivan portraying a young Logan in (2009).
Walker's draft involved Professor Xavier recruiting Wolverine into the X-Men, which consists of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. The Brotherhood of Mutants, which consisted of Magneto, Sabretooth, Toad, Juggernaut and the Blob, try to conquer New York City, while Henry Peter Gyrich and Bolivar Trask attack the X-Men with three tall Sentinels. The script focused on the rivalry between Wolverine and Cyclops, as well as the latter's self-doubt as a field leader. Part of the backstory invented for Magneto made him the cause of the Chernobyl disaster. The script also featured the X-Copter and the Danger Room. Walker turned in his second draft in June 1994. Laeta Kalogridis, John Logan, James Schamus, and Joss Whedon were brought on for subsequent rewrites. One of these scripts kept the idea of Magneto turning Manhattan into a "mutant homeland", while another hinged on a romance between Wolverine and Storm. Whedon's draft featured the Danger Room, and concluded with Jean Grey dressed as the Phoenix Force. According to Entertainment Weekly, this screenplay was rejected because of its "quick-witted pop culture-referencing tone", and the finished film contained only two dialogue exchanges that Whedon had contributed. Michael Chabon pitched a six-page film treatment to Fox in 1996. It focused heavily on character development between Wolverine and Jubilee and included Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman, and Storm. Under Chabon's plan, the villains would not have been introduced until the second film.
Casting directors cast Troye Sivan as the young James Howlett in (2009) after seeing him sing at the Channel Seven Perth Telethon, and he was accepted after sending in an audition tape. Kodi Smit-McPhee was originally cast in the role, when filming was originally beginning in December 2007, but he opted out to film The Road. McPhee later played Nightcrawler in and Dark Phoenix.
Speaking on why the classic comic book costume of Wolverine has never been worn onscreen, the director James Mangold believed the yellow costume has never made sense in any X-Men movie and seemed out of character, stating, 'Finding the rationale for a uniform when the character disdains self-promotion, why he would put on some outfit that promotes himself as some kind of hero? The flesh and blood character is very loyal to that iconoclastic rebel who doesn't seem to be the first to don spandex. ... who puts a special branded outfit on when they do good deeds? And why? The only reason you do it is so you can have some sort of trademarked claim and get credit for what you did. Nothing seems less Wolverine-like than the desire to put on a trademarked outfit, particularly canary yellow, ... Essentially, it's something that lives on the page and I'm not sure could live anywhere else.' Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) marked the first time Jackman had worn a comics-accurate suit on-screen, with Jackman stating that he was surprised he had gone so long filming without ever having worn it once, stating "it looks so good, it feels so good."
In December 2016, Ryan Reynolds revealed that he had been trying to convince Jackman to re-sign for a Wolverine and Deadpool crossover film. Urging fans to campaign online, he stated, "I want Deadpool and Wolverine in a movie together. What we're gonna have to do is convince Hugh. If anything, I'm going to need to do what I can to get my internet friends back on board to help rally another cause down the line. Hugh Jackman is one of the best human beings. Part of the reason I want to do a Deadpool/Wolverine movie is not just because I think the two would light the screen on fire but I genuinely love the guy." In January 2017, Reynolds and Jackman spoke about the proposed project; Jackman stated, "I'm hesitating, because I could totally see how that's the perfect fit. But the timing may be wrong." Jackman later stated that he would not reprise the role for a team-up film, specifying, "No, and Ryan is currently sleeping outside my house. Laughs Look, if that movie had appeared 10 years ago, probably a different story, but I knew two-and-a-half years ago that this was the last one. The first call I made was to director. I said, 'Jim, I got one more shot at this,' and as soon as Jim came up with the idea and we worked on it, I was never more excited. But, it feels like the right time. Deadpool, go for it man, do your thing. You don't need me."
Jackman expressed interest in continuing to play Wolverine if the character were brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jackman elaborated, "If that was on the table when I made my decision, it certainly would have made me pause. That's for sure. Because I always love the idea of him within that dynamic, with the Hulk obviously, with Iron Man but there's a lot of smarter people with MBAs who can't figure that out. You never know. At the moment, honestly, if I really did have them there, I probably wouldn't have said this is the last. It just feels like this is the right time to." Prior to Disney's prospective acquisition of 20th Century Fox's film division, a sequel to Logan, tentatively titled Laura, was confirmed to be in an active state of development, featuring Dafne Keen reprising her role as Laura, Logan's daughter, with Jackman to be featured via archive footage. In July 2021, Jackman posted an image of Wolverine's arm and claws on Instagram, followed by a picture of himself with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, setting off speculation that Jackman would return as Wolverine in an upcoming MCU film. However, Jackman later revealed that he was merely sharing fan art and had not foreseen that his post would "break the internet".
On August 14, 2022, Jackman ultimately reached out to Reynolds about wanting to star together, having confirmed he wanted to return after taking a long drive to think about it. At this time, both Reynolds and director Shawn Levy were preparing to meet with Feige and discuss how to proceed with Deadpool 3, given their lack of story ideas, and realized that including Wolverine would solve many of the issues they were coming up against. Jackman had a change of heart, after being content with his decision to retire as Wolverine for several years, and decided that a team-up film with Reynolds "could be so much fun; I'll probably have more fun on that movie than anything I've ever done". Feige initially advised Jackman not to return as to preserve the "greatest ending in history" of Logan that was Wolverine's death, but was convinced otherwise upon learning Jackman would portray a variant of his original character.
On September 27, 2022, Jackman's involvement was officially announced for Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Four days later, while stopping on his way to Alkali Lake to refill his gas tank, Logan notices that Sabretooth has been tracking him and attacks him, stopping after noticing he has similar dog tags to his own, and that Sabretooth is not trying to kill him.Vaughan and Mandrake. X-Men 2: Wolverine. Comic book. Marvel. Offering him a drink, the two drink in a nearby bar, with Sabretooth revealing his fall from the Statue of Liberty to have restored some of his own erased memories, such as of his name being "Victor", of killing babies and old men, and of Logan. They are interrupted by soldiers searching for Victor, who recognizes Logan as "Weapon X". Fighting the soldiers, Logan and Victor are surprised that they show instinctive teamwork side-by-side, but they are eventually brought down. The two wake up restrained on a helicopter, and after apologizing to Logan for their past, having remembered them to be brothers, Victor throws Logan out of it, sacrificing himself to save him. William Stryker then has adamantium bonded to Victor's bones, which fails as he had originally expected, although he is content with one new success story, Lady Deathstrike. Learning of Logan's survival, Stryker expects to see "Wolverine" again.
Three days later after that, Logan returns to Professor X's X-Mansion where he encounters Stryker, to which he and the X-Men teams up with Magneto and Mystique to stop him. During a confrontation with Stryker and Lady Deathstrike, Logan regains some of his memory but opts to remain with the X-Men over Stryker's objections, while Stryker is killed when Alkali's base floods after sustaining damage.
One year later, Xavier sends Logan and Storm to investigate the disappearance of Scott Summers at Alkali Lake, but they find only telekinetically floating rocks, Summers' glasses, and an unconscious Jean. Xavier explains to Logan that when Jean sacrificed herself to save them, she freed the "Phoenix Force", a dark and extremely powerful alternate personality which Xavier had telepathically repressed. Logan is disgusted to learn of this psychic tampering with Jean's mind. Later on, he checks up on her and she awakens suddenly. Jean then starts seducing Logan aggressively, but he notes this behavior as the Phoenix. Logan then discovers that she killed Summers and is not the Jean Grey he once knew. Jean as the Phoenix kills Xavier and joins Magneto, who plans to have mutants loyal to him storm a Worthington Labs facility housed in Alcatraz to destroy a supposed "cure" for mutants. Logan, Storm, and Beast lead the remaining X-Men in challenging the attack, and Logan has Colossus throw him at Magneto to distract him long enough for Hank McCoy to inject Magneto with the "cure" and thus nullify his powers. Army reinforcements arrive and shoot at Jean just as Logan had calmed her down. The Phoenix is awakened by the attack and disintegrates the troops, and begins to destroy Alcatraz and anyone within range of her powers. Logan realizes that only he can stop the Phoenix due to his healing factor and adamantium skeleton. When Logan approaches her, Jean momentarily gains control and begs him to save her, and everyone else, by killing her. Logan fatally stabs Jean, killing the Phoenix, but mourns her death.
In the 1980s, Logan is eventually captured by Stryker, given an adamantium skeleton and subjected to brutal mental conditioning, leaving him more feral than human. When some of the X-Men are captured by Stryker's men in 1983, Jean, Scott, and Nightcrawler infiltrate Stryker's base and find a cage. Jean senses the human mind inside and releases him so that he can help. After he tears through Stryker's forces, the three mutants find him and Jean telepathically restores some of Logan's human memories before he runs off through a small side-exit into the snow.
In the years that followed, comic books about Logan and the X-Men's escapades were produced.
In 2023, the consciousness of the original timeline's Logan awakes in his body but with no memory of this timeline. He is happy to see Jean, Scott, and Hank alive, as they never died. Over the preceding 40 years, Logan had joined the X-Men, ultimately becoming a history teacher at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
In 2029, Logan spends his days working as a chauffeur under his birth name and hustling for prescription drugs along the border between the United States and Mexico. He and Caliban live in an abandoned smelting plant across the border in Mexico and care for the senile Xavier. He is tasked by Transigen's former nurse Gabriela Lopez to escort the 11-year-old Laura Kinney to a place in North Dakota called "Eden." Caliban is captured by Transigen's hunters led by Donald Pierce but Logan, Charles, and Laura escape and discover that Laura is Logan's daughter bred from his DNA and has inherited his bone claws and healing factor. After the three accept shelter from the Munson family they helped on the highway, Xavier is killed by a feral clone of Wolverine. Logan and Laura escape and bury Xavier's body near a lake.
Eventually, Logan and Laura arrive at Eden, a safe haven run by Rictor and former Transigen test subjects. There, Logan learns that the children will make an eight-mile journey across the forest to the Canadian-American border and entrusts Laura to lead before departing on his own. But when the children are located and captured, Logan uses a mutant serum provided by Rictor to restore his strength and healing factor. He meets Zander Rice, killing the mutant virus' creator. Without his healing factor, Logan is no match for his clone, who impales Logan with a tree. Laura shoots the clone in the head with an adamantium bullet that Logan had kept with him for years. Logan tells Laura not to become the weapon that she was made to be, and after she tearfully acknowledges him as her father, he dies peacefully in her arms. Laura and the children bury him before continuing the journey across the border. Laura places Logan's cross-shaped grave marker on its side to create an "X" to honor him as the last of the X-Men.
It is later revealed that Logan was Earth-10005's "anchor being", an entity of extreme importance to the timeline, which begins to destabilize after his death. This catches the attention of Paradox, a rogue Time Variance Authority (TVA) agent, who decides to use the "Time Ripper", a machine that mercy-kills timelines, on Earth-10005. In an attempt to save his reality, Wade Wilson from the revised timeline time-travels to scour Logan's grave for signs of survival, only to find his adamantium skeleton remains, which he uses to fight off TVA forces.
One night, while Logan was out binge-drinking at a bar, the X-Men were killed by a group of mutant-hunting humans. Following this incident, he fell into a depressive spiral, believing he had let his new family down, so he went berserk and murdered many people indiscriminately; both those who killed his fellow mutants, and innocent civilians. His actions desecrated the X-Men’s legacy, and led to him being considered the worst Wolverine in the multiverse by the TVA. He deeply misses his teammates and chooses to memorialize them by wearing the uniform at all times under his normal clothes, spending his days depressed and drinking.
After Nova demonstrates her ability to manipulate people's minds, and tricks Wade into thinking he does not matter, Logan and Wade escape her lair and come into contact with "Nicepool", a variant of Wade. Nicepool gives them a car to travel to the borderlands and meet a small resistance who fight against Nova's forces. On the way there, Wade accidentally admits that he is not certain if the TVA can truly fix Logan's timeline. Accusing Wade of lying to him earlier, an enraged Logan insults him and vocally lashes out, causing them to fight in the car until they pass out. They are then driven to the borderlands by Laura / X-23, the daughter of his Earth-10005 counterpart.
Logan wakes up at the resistance base and starts raiding the stash of alcohol. When Wade wakes up, they meet the resistance: Elektra Natchios, Eric Brooks / Blade, Remy LeBeau / Gambit, and Laura. Wade convinces them to help him fight Nova and escape the Void, but Logan refuses to cooperate. However, he eventually relents after a conversation with Laura about his inability to save the X-Men in his universe. Logan and Wade, along with the resistance, confront Nova and her forces. Nova mentally incapacitates Logan, learning about his past, but eventually gets her powers blocked by Wade using Juggernaut's helmet. Logan convinces Wade to remove the helmet, and Nova allows Logan and Wade to escape the Void via a sling ring she acquired from a variant of Doctor Strange and opens a portal back to Earth-10005.
Upon arriving, Logan and Wade find that the "Time Ripper" device is nearly ready, and Paradox is preparing to use it on Wade's timeline without permission from his superior, Hunter B-15. Nova learns of this and arrives to use the Time Ripper to destroy all timelines. She sends the Deadpool Corps, an army of Deadpool variants, to slow Wade and Logan down. Logan, now donning the cowl of his suit, helps Wade battle the Corps, to no avail. The Corps stands down when Wade's friend Peter Wisdom arrives to help. Paradox tells Logan and Wade that to stop Nova, one can disrupt the power flow of the Time Ripper, but at the cost of their life. Using their bodies as conductors, they both join hands and destroy the Time Ripper, killing Nova in the process. Because they did it together, they manage to survive the blast.
As Paradox is arrested, B-15 tells Logan that he can remain on Earth-10005, but instead is asked if his past can be changed. B-15 explains that his past is what made him the hero needed to save the multiverse, and that there is no need to change it. Wade takes him and Laura to meet his friends, where he encourages Wade to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Carlysle.
Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the character has been praised by multiple critics. Jessica Brajer of MovieWeb stated, "The film that kick-started the X-Men franchise and brought Jackman into the spotlight is the original X-Men. ... Though Jackman wasn't the first choice for the role, it's clear that he has lived up to the expectations set by comic-book fans everywhere." Liam Gaughan of SlashFilm wrote, "If a new actor is cast as Wolverine in a rebooted X-Men franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they will have to live up to the legacy that Jackman left behind." Christian Bone of Starburst ranked Jackman's performances through the X-Men films first in their "10 Greatest Performances in the X-Men Movies" list, saying, "Some might complain that Wolverine hogs too much of the spotlight at the expense of other characters, but it's hard to blame the filmmakers for this when Jackman is such a strong leading man. Even now, in our superhero-saturated world, his Wolverine remains unique – a reluctant hero, who struggles to control his own brutality. It's the sort of character you don't really get in the MCU, though he no doubt will be folded into it soon enough. Good luck to the poor sap who has to follow Jackman." Scoot Allan of Comic Book Resources ranked Jackman's performances across the X-Men film series third rd in their "10 Best Performances In The X-Men Movies" list, writing, "Hugh Jackman played the mutant hero and became an instant hit with fans of Wolverine." Jackman's performance topped The Hollywood Reporters "50 Greatest Superhero Movie Performances of All Time" list.
Playing the role for seventeen years in nine films, Jackman held the Guinness World Record of "longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero" between 2017 and 2021 alongside Sir Patrick Stewart. He was initially believed to have regained the record in 2024 after his role in Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, only to lose it again to Wesley Snipes as Blade in the same film.
| + ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Film ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | |
| 2001 | X-Men | Blockbuster Awards | Favorite Male – Newcomer | |||
| Saturn Awards | Best Actor | |||||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best On-Screen Duo | |||||
| Best Breakthrough Performance | ||||||
| 2003 | X2 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Drama/Action Adventure | |||
| Choice Movie Fight/Action Sequence | ||||||
| 2004 | Empire Awards | Best Actor | ||||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Movie Fight | |||||
| 2006 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action Movie Actor | ||||
| Choice Movie Liplock | ||||||
| Scream Awards | Best Superhero | |||||
| Best Flesh Scene | ||||||
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Action | ||||
| Scream Awards | Best Fantasy Actor | |||||
| Best Superhero | ||||||
| Fight Scene of the Year | ||||||
| 2010 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight | ||||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Action Star | |||||
| Favorite On-Screen Team | ||||||
| 2011 | Scream Awards | Best Cameo | ||||
| The Wolverine | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Action Movie Actor | ||||
| 2014 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Butt Kicker | ||||
| Empire Awards | Empire Icon Award | |||||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actor | |||||
| 2015 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actor | ||||
| Favorite Male Action Star | ||||||
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Hissy Fit | ||||
| 2017 | Logan | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Movie Performance | |||
| Best Movie Duo | ||||||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Action Movie Actor | |||||
| Choice Movie: Fight | ||||||
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle | Best Actor | |||||
| IGN | Best Lead Performer in a Movie | |||||
| 2018 | AACTA International Awards | Best Actor | ||||
| Empire Awards | Best Actor | |||||
| Saturn Awards | Best Actor | |||||
| 2025 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Film | |||
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actor in a Superhero Movie |
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