Ever since we first learned of plans for Deadpool & Wolverine, we've been assured that the movie would do nothing to undermine or retcon the events of 2017's Logan.
The threequel sticks to that promise and, while the Merc with the Mouth does desecrate Logan's grave and uses his bones to slaughter several TVA agents, that version of the character remains dead and gone. Rather than resurrect that Wolverine, we meet an extremely similar Variant from a reality where the X-Men and Avengers exist.
Trailers for Deadpool & Wolverine have seen Mr. Paradox tell Wade Wilson that this Wolverine failed his entire world and speculation has since run rampant about what he did. For example, many of you have theorised that, like in the Old Man Logan comic, the hero might have been tricked into killing his fellow X-Men.
During the course of the movie, the truth is revealed. Wolverine explains that he wears the blue and yellow suit beneath his clothes because his fellow X-Men - Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Beast are all named - constantly nagged him to do so.
He never did and instead made it clear he didn't want to be there (because he couldn't have them knowing that he welcomed being part of the team). However, one night when he was off getting drunk, humans attacked the X-Mansion and murdered his fellow X-Men. By the time Logan returned, it was too late, prompting the clawed mutant to go on a rampage.
During his killing spree, he murdered both those guilty of killing his friends and a lot of innocent people as well; as a result, his actions turned the entire world against the X-Men, forever tarnishing their legacy and ensuring the world hates The Wolverine.
It's not quite as shocking a revelation as we expected, though we'd imagine it was important for this Logan Variant to not be irredeemable. His actions were terrible, yes, but he gets a second chance to prove himself a hero in Deadpool & Wolverine and does so to great effect.
You can read our full review of Deadpool & Wolverine here, but we concluded by saying, "A contender for the best superhero movie ever, Deadpool & Wolverine is two hours of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman proving they were born to play these roles and, crucially, be part of the MCU. It’s a f***ing masterpiece."
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfadyen, and Dafne Keen. The movie is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.
Kevin Feige, Reynolds, Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in cinemas overseas and arrives in the U.S. in a matter of hours.