Deadpool & Wolverine Did Ruin Logan’s Ending

Before Deadpool & Wolverine released, Ryan Reynolds took to social media to clarify that the movie wouldn’t affect Logan’s ending in any way. Unfortunately, he was wrong — not just in a meta-jokey way like his character in the film admitted while digging up his remains in the very first scene.

The film, which marked Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), got a lot of things right. It made solid box office numbers, both fans and critics mostly seemed to love it, and it was the most refreshing addition to the MCU in some time, following quite a few duds. Yet, the movie still ruined one of the most emotional endings in superhero cinema, delivered by Logan in 2017.

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A Deadpool & Wolverine 2 Would Ruin What Was Special About The First Movie

Deadpool & Wolverine was special because it did things no other MCU has done. A sequel would dampen that.

Deadpool & Wolverine Breaks Its Promise To Logan Fans

Before anyone jumps to Ryan Reynolds’ or Marvel’s defense: yes, the logic is airtight. This is an entirely different Logan from an alternate reality, who has nothing to do with the hero who dies fighting X-24 in Logan. The argument in favor of Deadpool & Wolverine is that everything’s different here: the movie, franchise, treatment, timeline, universe, etc. But it still cheapens the whole point of Logan and alters how fans will perceive that movie in the future.

In September 2022, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman confirmed in an announcement video that their upcoming film was a “totally separate thing” from Logan, which takes place in 2029. They reaffirmed that they would not touch the clawed hero’s iconic on-screen death. Fast-forward to 2024, where Deadpool & Wolverine intentionally throws away this promise. The film starts off with the Merc with a Mouth desecrating Logan’s unearthed remains, and before he butchers the TVA agents with the adamantium-infused bones, he says:

Logan’s Legacy Deserves More Than A Multiverse Rewrite

Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine was contingent on the new film not affecting Logan in any way. Marvel’s reassurance came through their narrative device of altering multiversal branches. Logan director James Mangold even gave his nod of approval only after being relieved that the new movie would take place before or outside the events of his film. But the problem is, it’s not as simple as that. Audiences remember faces and emotions, not variants and timelines.

At the risk of upsetting fans of mainstream comic book blockbusters, Logan deserves to be kept on a higher cinematic pedestal in discussions, much like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. And it’s not just about taking a darker, grittier approach to the material. The film dealt with complex ideas like mortality, sacrifice, and legacy, borrowing from the Old Man Logan storyline from the comics and other masterpieces like Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men. James Mangold went all in and showed what was really underneath the superhero’s metal claws and healing powers: a violent human coming to terms with death.

Logan’s Farewell Feels Diluted After Wolverine’s Return

Hugh Jackman was never meant to return as Logan after his final stint ensured a perfect farewell for the character. His revival and addition to the MCU make sense in terms of the sheer fanfare it created. However, all the complex themes and feelings of closure discussed above now feel as though they have been flushed down the drain. And it’s not like someone has erased every copy of Logan from the face of the planet. The movie will remain relevant to newer audiences, but it won’t have the same effect it did when it felt like the X-Man’s goodbye was truly final.

Logic and emotion are two contrasting factors here. Wolverine’s return in the new movie is perfectly logical, whereas his send-off in Logan was hard-hitting and emotional. As a collective audience, it’s easy to accept why he’s back, but individual sensitivity makes it difficult to accept Logan’s tragic ending now. At first, it all seemed fine, since Deadpool & Wolverine did a good job creating a meaningful arc for its “loser” Logan variant. However, upon revisiting the 2017 film, it feels as though Marvel let down the character for a few (billion) extra bucks.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Could Repeat The Logan Effect

This raises more concern, considering Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. While Doom is surely not going to be some Iron Man variant, audiences cannot help but associate the actor with Tony Stark as soon as they see his face. The Logan effect might repeat here, and there’s an imminent risk of watering down Avengers: Endgame’s near-perfect ending. Imagine rewatching one RDJ sacrificing his life to save the universe, knowing full well there’s another RDJ who will try to bring down the multiverse in the same series of films. Maybe Deadpool & Wolverine is a reminder for multiverse movies to play it safe with returning actors or characters.

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Director

Shawn Levy

Cast

Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney

Runtime

127 Minutes

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