When it comes to heroes that can’t (easily) die, it helps for them to be genuinely interesting, engaging people – and which two self-healing heroes are more beloved than Deadpool and Wolverine? Their banter, fondness for a brawl, and ability to actually get along with a team once in a while has kept us on our toes for decades.
A clear history of the two characters, however, isn’t as clean-cut as a handy, single, linear timeline. Navigating this tangled web of interactions across comics, films, and multiple universes can be as perplexing as Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking gags. So, we hope your shawarma’s well-wrapped and ready to go, because we’re in for a bumpy ride!
Deadpool & Wolverine in The Comic Books
Origins and their very first “date”
In our universe, the two characters had quite a gap between them being created, and them actually meeting.
Deadpool, a.k.a Wade Wilson, was first revealed to the world in 1991 in the comic book New Mutants #98 – created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Wolverine, however, clawed his way into existence much, much earlier, in 1974’s The Incredible Hulk #180 – from the creative minds of Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr.
We say first “date” here because they’re such a great couple, but it was really more of a very lengthy fist, sword, and claw fight. Their first notable encounter in the comics happened in Deadpool #27, where Deadpool seeks Wolverine out for a fight in order to work off his aggression in a way that doesn’t involve actually killing someone (therapy’s a long process). In a subtle way, it’s also really an excuse to test his own abilities against a seasoned veteran.
The two personalities quickly became loved by comic fans, where Deadpool’s irreverent attitude was always at complete odds with Wolverine’s gruff taciturnity. It provided a great dynamic of a completely nonsense approach on one side of the duo, and a completely no-nonsense approach on the other. Crucially, their partnership was quickly seen to build from their similarities (opposites attract, right?) – with both characters sharing a tortured past, a penchant for violence, and the always-helpful healing factor.
Team-ups and smackdowns
As with many heroes in the long lineages of comic book universes, Deadpool and Wolverine’s paths have crossed many times over the years. Sometimes they’re (often begrudgingly) on the same team, and, other times, on the opposite teams.
One of the most memorable team-ups was in Cable & Deadpool #8-9, where our two favorites teamed up to take down a common enemy. This arc particularly highlighted their contrasting personalities, and developed them more as individuals – with Wolverine’s stoicism acting as the perfect foil to the Merc with a Mouth’s chaotic humor.
In Wolverine: Origins #21-25, the pair found themselves at odds again, with Deadpool hired to kill Wolverine (which we’ve already established is no easy feat). Their inevitable battle was as brutal as it was hilarious, with Deadpool’s endless chatter only fuelling Wolverine’s rage.
Despite their frequent clashes, these encounters led to them forming a begrudging respect – as much as you can get in this whole killing people business, anyway.
Deadpool & Wolverine in The Movies
While the comic book story arcs don’t present a particularly inconsistent portrayal of the two characters, the relationship between them in films is as inconsistent as Deadpool’s sanity. With various film studios, writers, and teams trying to make entertaining movies, the chronology of certain characters has been twisted to fit whatever that particular film’s story needs – not fit what many fans consider canon.
In the films, their bromance is really one of a long-distance relationship (until now).
Here’s where it gets really confusing.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine introduced newcomers to Deadpool with Ryan Reynolds playing the previously beloved wisecracking chaos ball. But this version of Deadpool was almost universally panned by fans and critics; with his mouth sewn shut and his powers amalgamated from various mutants, many felt that the essence of Deadpool (how funny he is) was completely lost. The Deadpool in this film, really, only serves as a strong villain for Wolverine to fight – so as much as the portrayal of Deadpool himself is dissatisfying, his death at the end of the film is quite satisfying.
That said, the events in this film aren’t canon with any other Deadpool/Wolverine story arc in films – and this film has largely been put aside and forgotten (sorry 😬).
Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018)
Ryan Reynolds got to reprise the character in a much more comic-faithful way in 2016’s Deadpool. Having served previously as the not-so-interesting villain to Wolverine’s hero, Deadpool got to make a lot of fun out of the Merc’s obsession with Wolverine. Hugh Jackman (or a Wolverine of any sort) isn’t actually in the film in person, but it does feature a bunch of humorous references throughout – as well as a hilarious post-credits scene with a cardboard cutout of Jackman.
Deadpool 2 (2018) kept running with this theme, with Deadpool traveling back in time to “correct” the mistakes of X-Men Origins: Wolverine by killing the 2009 version of himself. This metafictional humor and the constant breaking of the fourth wall helped to really sell the character to lifelong fans as well as newcomers – as both a real badass and a character with depth.
Logan (2017)
This is where a bit of a hitch happened in the timelines. 2017’s Logan presented Jackman’s Wolverine as a somber and gritty loner, slightly aging, but still retaining everything we’ve grown to love about him. The film was hugely successful because we get to really understand the character himself, and see him not just as a superhero – but as a deeply human hero.
The hitch here (spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the film – please go watch it) is that the film ends with Logan’s death. It was originally intended as a farewell to the character, but the popularity of the film immediately led to fans calling for a crossover film, reprising some of the much-loved banter from the comic book days. And Reynolds and Jackson even teased fans with banter of their own on social media.
But this crossover coming to life was thought a distant possibility, until now…
A Bromance Today: Deadpool & Wolverine
The recent release of 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, of course, made that crossover a reality – with Deadpool looking to recruit an especially grumpy version of Wolverine to help him save his (Deadpool’s) world. They do their fair bit of arguing (sometimes really arguing) but they return to the good old days of working as a team.
We won’t give away any more information because you should absolutely go and watch the film, but it has immediately had critics and fans raving. It feels like the first film in a long time that’s specifically made for fans, packed with easter eggs and sprawling wisecracks aimed at the characters, as well as the actors, who play them.
So let’s talk quickly about why the interplay between the two characters is so beloved.
The Explosive Chemistry of Deadpool & Wolverine
What makes the relationship between Deadpool and Wolverine so compelling is the stark contrast between their personalities. While Wolverine is the quintessential lone wolf, burdened by a tragic past and haunted by memories of those he’s lost, Deadpool is the maximalist result of a similarly traumatic past.
Wolverine’s gruffness and anger is really a mask for how emotional the character can be – and it’s great to be able to occasionally see his heart of gold. If there’s one thing that you can depend on Wolverine for, it tends to be a consistency in morals.
Deadpool, on the other hand, embraces chaos. His unpredictability, irreverence, and interest in making more jokes than completing missions makes him the seeming opposite of Wolverine. But, of course, the jokes and madness are as much coping mechanisms for his own trauma as Wolverine’s gruffness is a way of getting away from it.
Fundamentally, the two characters work so well because we, as humans, like to laugh. It’s definitely exciting to experience the edge-of-your-seat thrills of cosmic-scale battles, but the big drama of big battles can sometimes miss out the human touch of jokes. That is, all of these battles that our favorite superheroes fight are fought to save the world, but “the world” includes us – the people watching the films. The magic here is that Deadpool’s incessant humor also includes us – so we’re no longer just watching a movie where battles happen somewhere else, we’re watching a movie where battles happen to save us…
Perhaps that’s enough philosophy for one day! But we can’t wait to see more of this duo. If you’re as excited about these heroes as we are, get their beautiful faces (or masks) up on your walls with metal posters from our new Deadpool & Wolverine collection. And let us know what you think of the film!
