For nearly two decades, X-Men fans like myself have known only one Wolverine on the big screen in Hugh Jackman. In that time, we’ve had three don the mantle of Spider-Man, two as Superman, two as Batman, and even two as the original X-Men cast. The world of superhero actors is dynamic, to say the least. Long-term stability is the exception, not the norm.
However, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the greatest exceptions of all time. Multiple generations of fans know no other Wolverine and the idea of casting someone else to don those adamantium claws just feels wrong. Despite plenty of casting rumors, no one can forget the high bar of snarling, swearing berserker rage that Mr. Jackman set for 17 years.
Now, he’s toying with our collective hearts once more. In a somewhat cryptic post to his Instagram, Jackman showed an image of him and Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige, along with some iconic Wolverine artwork by BossLogic.
Needless to say, it garnered a hell of a reaction. I’m not gonna lie. My heart definitely skipped a beat when I saw this. As much as I love the send-off Jackman’s Wolverine got in “Logan,” a part of me still wants to see Jackman play Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since Disney didn’t complete its purchase of Fox until after “Logan” came out, it seemed like an impossible dream.
Now, this cryptic post does not confirm anything. Kevin Feige, Disney, and Marvel Studios are notorious for their secrecy. You’d probably have better luck getting information out of the CIA at this point. That said, I’m inclined to believe Feige and Jackman knew what kind of reaction they’d get by posting this. This was not an accident. It may just be a stunt, but a part of me believes it might be something more.
That’s not to say it means Hugh Jackman is signing onto do another six Marvel movies as Wolverine. That’s just not gonna happen, given Jackman’s age and the training it takes just to be Wolverine. If he thinks he can do it, then more power to him. I’ll be the first to cheer him on. I just think it’s more likely that Marvel Studios wants a fresh start with Wolverine and all things X-Men.
However, that doesn’t mean they won’t acknowledge the past cinematic successes of X-Men. Since Jackman was part of those successes, I think it’s likely he will make a few Stan Lee style cameos at some point. That leads me to believe that this post teased a possible appearance in the upcoming “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” Since multiverse is literally in the title, it may be the case that the world of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is just one of the universes that story will reference.
If that means seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine again, even if it’s brief, then that alone will be worth the ticket price.
If it means something more, then that’ll be a hell of a bonus.
I’m not getting my hopes up for the latter, but I’ll be plenty satisfied with the former. There’s also a chance that this is nothing more than Jackman capturing a nice moment with someone he’s known for over 20 years. If that’s the case, then I’ll be disappointed, but not enough to stop loving Hugh Jackman and all the wonderful years he gave us as Wolverine.
The following is a video/mini-documentary that I made for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. I’ve actually been working on this video for quite some time now. I feel it’s finally ready for release. It’s a grand overview, as well as my own personal take, on the brief, but impactful rivalry between the Inhumans and the X-Men. It’s also me making the case that this was a case study in how not to develop a rivalry.
Please note that, while I tried to be fair and objective, I couldn’t help but go off-script in a few areas. Trust me. You’ll know it when you see it. I still try to tell the story of this rivalry in as fair a way I could. Enjoy!
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It covers some recent rumors that have been circulating about the future of the X-Men in the MCU. Please note that these rumors are not substantiated. There is no inside source at work here. Most of this information comes from the site, BGR. So, please take them with a grain of salt.
That disclaimer aside, I made this video as a general reaction of sorts. This is also the first time I used my new video editing software. Please let me know if you can see a difference in the overall quality. Enjoy!
The following is a YouTube video from my channel, Jack’s World. It’s a fresh entry to my ongoing Jack’s Comic Gems series in which I highlight a rare and special gem from the comic book world. This time, I focus on Psylocke, a character whose star has been on the rise lately in Excalibur. However, she’s always found a way to stand out, as a character.
If you’ve been enjoying he most recent exploits in the pages of the X-books, then you’ll really enjoy “Psylocke,” by Chris Yost. This 4-issue mini from the early 2010s stands out in many ways, but it’s also a Psylocke story that involves ninjas and former lovers. Need I say more?
I had a plan in place for my next video for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It was a good plan. Then, I saw Episode 5 of “WandaVision” and I just had to change it. If you’ve been following this show, you probably know why. There have been a lot of strong reactions to it, as well as new fan theories.
Now, I was going to wait until the end in order to formulate my own theories and do a proper review. I just can’t wait that long. I’m sorry. I’m weak, in that respect. This video was a bit rushed, but it’s my own quick reaction to what’s been going on in “WandaVision” and the possible implications for mutants in the MCU. Enjoy!
I apologize for posting this several days after the fact. I know I’m late to the party with respect to reactions to Episode 5 of “WandaVision.” I don’t have a very good reason for that, other than being pre-occupied with my Super Bowl LV preparations.
In hindsight, that might have been for the best because the events of this episode were incredible. It was, without a doubt, the most impactful episode of this show to date. Both the fan reactions and the IMDB scores are proof of that.
I can safely confirm that my reactions mirrored the shock, glee, and astonishment that got this show trending the day it debuted. As excited as I was to watch the Super Bowl, I found myself more caught up in the implications of this episode.
Now, before I go any further, I want to disclose that there will be talks of spoilers for this episode. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do. If you’re at all a fan of Marvel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is one episode you do not want to miss. It has implications that could likely impact future movies in the best possible way.
If you’re still here, then here’s a brief rundown of the events.
Wanda and Vision’s kids start as infants, but rapidly age to toddlers and then to pre-teens
Vision starts to suspect that something is amiss in their cheerful life
Outside Westview, SWORD is trying to make sense of the anomaly and starts sending drones inside
Wanda doesn’t like the intrusion and goes so far as to step out and warn SWORD not to interfere with the world she’s created
Vision is able to free some people from Wanda’s manipulations and confronts her about it
Before they can come to blows, a surprise guest arrives at the door and it’s Wanda’s dead brother, Pietro
However, it’s not the Pietro that died in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” It’s the Pietro from the X-Men Fox movies, played by Evan Peters.
After four episodes of teasing, mystery, and build-up, this episode gave us the first major payoff. Now, it’s a bit clearer as to what’s going on and what’s driving this story.
We know now that it’s not some outside agent who has hijacked Wanda’s mind and powers. She’s the one doing this on her own. She’s the one who created this strange anomaly around Westview, creating her own pocket reality that mirrors that of American sitcoms throughout the decades.
That’s a critical and potentially revealing detail, one that even Vision finds distressing. In addition to finding out that she’s the source of all this, we also learn that she’s the one who took Vision’s body from SWORD and she wasn’t polite about it.
She’s clearly not in a very understanding state of mind. Visions death at the hands of Thanos did not go over well and him not coming back in “Avengers Endgame” only made it worse. At this point, she has lost too many people that she loves and she’s willing to break reality to get it back.
That moment when she steps out of the bubble and confronts SWORD makes this clear. She has what she wants in this pocket reality. She has Vision, a family, and a life in which she hasn’t lost everyone who matters to her. That’s powerful in that it shows how much she was hurt by the events leading up to this show.
However, the biggest moment, by far, came at the end with the arrival of Quicksilver. However, the fact that the Quicksilver we saw was not the Quicksilver played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was the most jarring. It also has the greatest implications.
This is the part where I’m going to start exploring some fan theories, some of which others have already developed. I think after this episode, we have enough details to make some less-than-wild speculations about where this is leading.
We know from the previous episode that Vision was indeed killed. It’s very possible that he’s only alive because Wanda is animating him. We also find out that as powerful as Wanda is, she has limits. She couldn’t make baby Tommy and Billy stop crying. She also couldn’t bring their dog, Sparky, back to life.
This would imply that, even if she wanted to bring the Aaron Taylor-Johnson Quicksilver back, she couldn’t. It seems that if someone dies in her universe, then they stay dead. She cannot bring them back. However, this may not apply to version of her brother from other universes.
We already know from “Dr. Strange” that the multiverse is a thing. Wanda may also be aware of this on some level, even if she didn’t consciously reach into another universe to find another version of her brother. The fact she found the same version we saw in “X-Men: Days of Futures Past” could be another telling hint.
However, I don’t think that means that the MCU is about to do a direct crossover with the Fox era X-Men movies. I think trying to incorporate that messy continuity into the MCU will be too cumbersome, even for someone like Kevin Feige.
I suspect that we’re getting this particular version of Quicksilver because he, and other mutants like him, have been in a pocket universe of their own. It’s why we haven’t seen any mutants show up in the MCU, at least with respect to the story. I understand the movie rights were the logistical reason for that.
The fact that Wanda created a pocket reality of her own means that someone or something taught her. I don’t know who it could be. Perhaps, it involves someone like Agatha Harkness, a witch from the comics who helped Wanda master her powers. Maybe it involves someone far more powerful, like Mephisto.
Whatever the source, I think pocket realities are going to be what plays into the events of “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” They’ll be akin to the disruptions or wrinkles in the larger fabric of reality, which was already disrupted by the events of “Avengers Endgame.” That domain could be where mutants reside.
Now, I could be dead wrong about that. In fact, I’m not entirely confident in that theory being true. However, there’s one other theory that I think is a bit more plausible. It’s not so much a theory as it is an observation of trends.
Wanda is becoming a villain and she will likely play the part of the MCU’s main villain in Phase 4.
I think, thematically, this makes sense. After Thanos, the MCU needs a new villain to warrant a massive assembly of the Avengers. We’ve already seen this big, menacing villains who look, act, and sound evil. We got Ronan, Thanos, Dormammu, and Ultron. I think the MCU needs a change of pace after that.
Wanda would act as an entirely different kind of villain. This isn’t someone who is just an outright villain from the get-go. She’s a friend. She’s an Avenger. She’s someone who has lost nearly everyone she has ever cared about. If ever there was a hero you could understand breaking bad, it’s her. That’ll make fighting against her that much harder.
The moment in this episode when she confronted SWORD made it clear. She can bend reality to her whim and she’s willing to use it to get what she wants. That’ll make her both dangerous and volatile. She may end up being the main villain of “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.”
If that’s the case, then Phase 4 of the MCU is going to be very chaotic indeed.
The following is a video that I posted to my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It is another collaboration between me and my good friend, DC-MarvelGirl 1997. Once a gain, she has lent her voice acting talent to do a reading from X-Men Supreme, a fan fiction series I wrote years ago. Enjoy!
Marvel Studios, the alpha and omega of superhero movies, is going to produce “Deadpool 3” and it will be R-Rated, just like its predecessors. I think I speak for all fans who saw the first two Deadpool movies multiple times when I say we’re both excited and relieved.
That said, this wasn’t exactly a long shot. Marvel Studios making “Deadpool 3” was very likely to begin with. The first two movies made a combined $1.5 billion on a total budget of $268 million. That’s a damn good return on investment and after 2020, Disney needs that badly. That may mean doing some R-Rated things that Disney isn’t used to, but when they’re badly in need of cash, they won’t dare change the winning formula.
Even if it was inevitable, it’s still always comforting to get confirmation. We can finally stop speculating. Marvel Studios’ big boss, Kevin Feige, confirmed it with his own words.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said that the next Deadpool movie will be R-rated, and be part of the MCU – with Ryan Reynolds working on a script right now.Speaking to Collider during a WandaVision press event, Feige went into a little more detail about the project:
“It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan [Reynolds is] overseeing a script right now… It will not be [filming] this year. Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we now have to make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life.”
This is all great news for me. I love every word of this. I’m already very excited to see the X-Men join the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point. The prospect of seeing Deadpool in the same world that Kevin Feige so masterfully created over the course of a decade is just too awesome for words.
Rest assured, I’ll be first in line to see “Deadpool 3” in its R-Rated glory. I sincerely hope it includes plenty of quirky references about the MCU, other Marvel characters, and the kind of crude humor that makes Deadpool and actor Ryan Reynolds so inherently lovable.
As excited as I am, I do have some burning questions that I’d like to put out there. I imagine my fellow Deadpool fans are asking these questions as well. Most of them boil down to this.
What does an R-Rated Deadpool movie produced by Disney even look like?
It’s not an unreasonable question. Let’s not forget that the first two Deadpool movies contained content that never would’ve been authorized by Disney.
There were multiple F-Bombs and plenty of poop jokes.
There was gratuitous, blood-soaked violence that involved guns, katanas, and even a Zamboni.
There were multiple scenes that involved raucous sex, including one that involved Ryan Reynolds getting fucked with a strap-on.
This is all par for the course with Deadpool. What we saw in the movies is not that different from what regularly happens in the comics. This is stuff that does not at all jive with Disney’s family friendly, princess loving image. The Marvel movies in the MCU are great, but they have strict PG-13 lines that they’ve never dared cross.
So, how are they going to make that work? That’s not a rhetorical question. Seriously, how are they going to pull it off?
It’s adorable, but it still leaves the question unanswered. We probably won’t know for sure until more details come out, which could take years. In the meantime, I’ll continue to wait and agonize over this issue. If nothing else, I take comfort in the knowledge that Disney badly needs another billion-dollar blockbuster and if that means dropping some F-Bombs, I think they’re willing to pay that price.
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. Once again, my good friend and fellow YouTuber, DC-MarvelGirl 1997, has kindly offered to read an excerpt from my X-Men Supreme fan fiction series. This time, she’s bringing life to Rogue, specifically her entry into X-Men Volume 1: Supreme Reflections.
I can’t thank her enough for doing this and bringing life to an old piece I wrote. I genuinely think she nailed Rogue’s sweet southern accent. Enjoy!
The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s a video essay in which I reveal my hopes for the X-Men whenever they join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ve written about it before, but I added a bit more speculation and expectation here. I also got a chance to use a new mic and sound editing software. Hope it makes a difference. Enjoy!
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