Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Novocaine!
The new action-thriller Novocaine includes a clever Wolverine reference in both the trailer and movie, which is even funnier because of the hit film ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. After much anticipation, the 2025 movie has finally hit the big screens, and it’s just as entertaining as the trailer promised. The Novocaine cast features Jack Quaid, who plays Nathan Caine, a timid man who lives with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhidrosis (CIPA) and gets caught up in the aftermath of a bank heist.
After a group of robbers dressed as Santa Claus kidnaps Sherry – his co-worker and the woman of his dreams – he makes the reckless and stupid decision to pursue them. This leads to hilarious action sequences that make use of his inability to feel pain. One of the best fights in Novocaine references the Marvel character Wolverine while giving a nod to ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine.
Novocaine Is Basically A ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Ripoff
Novocaine Pulls The Best Character Elements From ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool
Novocaine doesn’t include an accurate representation of Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhidrosis, providing a fictionalized version of the illness that I would describe as ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool minus the regeneration. Nathan Caine is a man who not only can’t feel pain but is also not really impacted by the harm done to his body. For instance, he sticks his hand in a fryer without the skin sloughing off from third-degree burns. He also takes multiple severe blows to the head and quickly gets up.
The movie also removes some other symptoms of CIPA – like seizures, frequent fevers, and hypoxemia – that would’ve differentiated Nathan from ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool but could’ve negatively impacted the narrative. By presenting Nathan Caine as this man who can’t feel pain or temperature and doesn’t face significant consequences for his actions, he becomes almost superhuman instead of an ordinary, fallible person.
Nathan Caine also has a mentality that aligns more with ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and other anti-heroes rather than superheroes. During Novocaine, Nathan overtly states that he doesn’t actually care about stopping the criminals. He couldn’t care less whether the robbers get away with the money. Instead, his sole goal is saving the woman he loves. This mirrors ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s mentality at the start of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movies. Wade Wilson’s driving force isn’t right or wrong; his entire motivation is getting revenge on Ajax and saving Vanessa.
Jack Quaid Gets A Version Of Wolverine’s Claws In Novocaine
Nathan Caine Creates Wolverine Claws Out Of Shattered Glᴀss
While the parallels between Nathan Caine and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool are entertaining, they aren’t overtly referenced within the film. However, another superhero – Wolverine – gets direct references in both the trailer and the movie itself. During the Novocaine trailer, Roscoe tells Nathan Caine, “You’ve got to be careful, dude. You can still die. You’re not Wolverine.” This warning is made even more amusing by the fact that Nathan Caine does essentially the exact opposite of this advice in Novocaine.
In the tattoo studio scene, Nathan Caine gets slammed against a mirror after nearly getting killed in Novocaine. Jack Quaid decides to pull a Wolverine, tapping into the essence of the character. Instead of having Adamantium bone claws, Nathan punches his fists into broken glᴀss to turn them into weapons. Hilariously, the tattoo artist looks at Nathan like he’s lost his mind when he takes this step. The hero who can’t feel pain then performs a move that’s similar to Wolverine’s classic feral leap move from Marvel Rivals with slashing. Luckily, this helps Jack Quaid’s Nathan Caine get away from the tattoo artist going after him.
Novocaine’s Wolverine Claws Reference Is Better After ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine
ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Uses Wolverine’s Claws In The Opening Of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine
The Wolverine reference in Novocaine is even more hilarious because of the “Bye Bye Bye” opening sequence of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, which shows ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool trying to be the clawed, surly hero as well. ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool uses Wolverine’s skeleton as a weapon, throwing the bones and hitting people with him. Then, he uses Wolverine’s claws in a fight, strapping the forearm bones with their retractable claws to his arms. It’s a hilariously sacrilegious move that fits perfectly with ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s personality.
It’s entertaining and cool to see ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool fight with Wolverine’s actual claws, but Novocaine also shows the positives of taking an alternative approach to the same idea. ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool strapping on the claws makes it feel like he’s trying to cosplay as Wolverine. I would’ve been even more amused if ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool had stuck the claw bones directly into his hands, though that might have taken too long during the action sequence introduction. The Wolverine claws reference in Novocaine makes him feel like a ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine hybrid, even for just one moment.
