The MCU almost used Logan’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine backstory in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, courtesy of the Russo Bros. In Phase 5, Marvel Studios achieved what seemed impossible for over two decades: officially bringing Fox’s X-Men universe into the MCU through a crossover film starring Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool. Both characters are alive and active on the MCU’s Earth-10005, and it’s only a matter of time before they cross paths with the Avengers, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and other multiversal X-Men.

Despite Logan serving as a definitive farewell to Hugh Jackman’s original variant, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine marks the beginning of a new chapter for a new version of the clawed mutant. Jackman’s latest Wolverine variant isn’t connected to the one from Logan, yet he’s at a similar point in his life. The MCU’s Wolverine survives a mutant mᴀssacre and finds himself on an unexpected journey that offers him a chance at redemption. That’s not the only parallel between Wolverines from different timelines, though.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine Added A New Tragedy To Logan’s Life

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Logan Variant Witnessed The Death Of His Universe’s X-Men

In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, Wade Wilson finds the “worst” Logan variant available in the multiverse, who happens to be one who has given up on fighting. This Wolverine variant eventually reveals that humans attacked mutantkind and he failed to protect the X-Men. Following the X-Men’s off-screen defeat, Wolverine gave up on his heroic persona and took refuge in binge-drinking. Hugh Jackman’s MCU Wolverine variant has a similar backstory to Logan‘s variant, who lived the rest of his days with survivor’s guilt after almost all mutants in the world were wiped out.

Infinity War & Endgame Almost Gave Wolverine A Different Version Of His Phase 5 Backstory

Wolverine’s Tragic MCU Backstory Would Have Happened Due To Thanos

In a 2019 interview with IGN, the Russos. revealed they would have liked to introduce the X-Men in Avengers: Infinity War, ᴀssembling Cyclops, Storm, Gambit, Rogue, Jean Grey, and Wolverine. The Russos considered having everyone but Wolverine fall victim to Thanos’ Snap, inspiring “a fiercely motivated Wolverine” to go after the Mad тιтan. This idea was only a thought exercise, however, as an Avengers and X-Men crossover wasn’t feasible given that 20th Century Fox still held the X-Men film rights at the time.

The concept of Wolverine being driven by the X-Men’s deaths was ahead of its time. After all, it made its way to the big screen five years later in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. A wrathful Wolverine seeking revenge for the death of the X-Men would also have been similar to Hawkeye’s story in Avengers: Endgame, where Clint Barton hunted down criminals to let out his rage over his family’s apparent deaths. Avengers: Endgame‘s Wolverine could have been the most dangerous Wolverine variant ever put on screen, as he would likely be stronger than the older and more jaded versions seen in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine and Logan.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine Makes Logan’s New Backstory More Tragic Than Ever

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Backstory Is Even Sadder Than The Russos’ Idea For Avengers: Infinity War And Endgame

While the X-Men’s disappearance in Avengers: Infinity War would have helped integrate Wolverine into the MCU even earlier, Logan’s motivations in Avengers: Endgame wouldn’t have been as emotionally resonant as those established in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. Since the Snap’s victims don’t actually die, the X-Men would have returned once Hulk performed the second Snap. In contrast, the mutants mentioned in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine cannot come back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, as they were likely killed by humans through ordinary and permanent means.

The X-Men’s off-screen deaths in Wolverine’s alternate universe are especially tragic, as the possibility of seeing Wolverine reunite with them is minimal. Characters like Loki, Gamora, Quicksilver, and Thanos have returned after their death, but they aren’t the original variants. Likewise, several of the original X-Men are confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, but they will probably be brand-new variants from a different universe. On the bright side, Hugh Jackman’s current Wolverine will likely live long past the age of his Logan counterpart, meaning he might have to carry his guilt for longer but also get another chance to meet a new version of the X-Men.