Throughout the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, moviegoers have seen numerous Marvel Comics icons grace the big screen for the first time. Alongside the likes of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) has had arguably the biggest mainstream pop culture impact of them all. His solo movies have raked over a billion dollars at the box office, he has become an even bigger merchandise juggernaut than he al?ready was, and proven without a doubt that R-rated comed??y superhero movies can not only work, but thrive.

In hindsight, it's not too surprising that Deadpool turned out to be a successful movie star. In the pages of Marvel Comics, his stories are full of action, comedy, fourth wall breaks, and even heart, which sounds like the perfect list of attributes for? a feature film. Not to mention, at one point he's described as a cross?? between Reynolds and a Shar-Pei in one of his comic adventures, so he was practically cast long before he became a big screen favorite and superhero genre influencer.

However, in reality, it took time, big mistakes, and surprising twists to get the Merc with a?? Mouth to the cinema. In fact, at times it seemed that he'd never make it?? there at all, only for him to exceed all expectations and defy countless detractors, studio executives included. What all of these elements amount to is a fascinating tale of one mutant's journey from print to live action.

This is?? Wade Wilson's odyssey from comics to the movies, fro?m 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios.

The origin of Deadpool's cinematic introduction

Deadpool's cinematic journey dates all the way back to 2000, when, as reported by Variety, Artisan Entertainment penned a deal to bring several Marvel characters to the movies. Unfortunately, development on a Deadpool-centric project was slow going. Writer David S. Goyer shared in 2004 that such a film was coming together at New Line Cinema (via IGN), but, as fate would have it, the project didn't make it off the ground within the decade. Simultaneously, other efforts like X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Ghost Rider took big screen precedent to varying levels of?? prosper?ity.

At the very least, the casting of Deadpool himself was locked in during this stretch of time. Reynolds, who had jumped into the Marvel movie world for the first time in 2004 as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, expressed interest to IGN in playing Wade in the future. Sure enough, the actor got his wish, but it came with some caveats. Not only would his first appearance in the role be confined to a movie dedicated to ano??ther Marvel legend, but it would deviate quite far from the comic book version fans had come to love.

The X-Men Origins: Wolverine fiasco

In 2009, Fox was exploring the idea of giving several of their X-Men franchise characters solo movies exploring their origins. Though one for Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) was planned alongside it, the one centered on Wolverine was the only one to make it down the production pipeline. X-Men Origins: Wolverine opened in the United States on May 1, 2009 to widespread frustration from Marvel fans, casual moviegoers, and critics alike. One of the biggest sources of said disappoi??ntment was the film's abysmal take on Deadpool, who battles Wolverine and Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) in the final act.

This take on Deadpool is, well, awful. He's a visual swing-and-a-miss, lacking the character's signature red and black suit and instead opting for sweatpants and no shir?t. His swords are attached to his hands, he can naturally teleport (comic Deadpool has this ability thanks to technology), and has the ability to fire optic blasts. Worst of all, his mouth is sewn shut, preventing Wade from spitting out one-liners and jokes like he does in the comics. All in all, this is a take on the character that Deadpool fans despise that one can't help but feel was created a deep-seeded dislike of the source material.

The leaked test footage that changed it all

Reynolds didn't have much say in the matter of Deadpool's adaptation in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He shared during a 2016 SiriusXM radio interview that he had no choice but to go with it if he wanted to play Deadpool in his own movie. "It was sort of like, 'Play Deadpool in this movie, or else we'll get someone else to.' And I just said, 'I'll do it, but it's the wrong version,'" the actor said. Despite playing ball, progress was still moving at a snail's pace on Deadpool as creatives came and went. Not to mention, when the Reynolds-led DC film Green Lantern floundered, Fox executives grew apprehensive of the entire thing (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Hopeful the project wouldn't end up scrapped, director Tim Miller went for broke and convinced Fox to fund animated test footage featuring Reynolds as a fresh, new, and comic-accurate take on Deadpool. The idea was to convince the powers that be that the film could be a big win if he and the team got a proper chance. They put the footage together in 2012, and Fox was not convinced. That is, until it was mysteriously leaked online in 2014 to widespread praise and positivity. With that, the folks at Fox quickly changed their tune, and Deadpool was officially slated for a 2016 release.

The monumental success of Deadpool and Deadpool 2

At long last, Deadpool arrived in theaters on February 12, 2016, marking a new era for the character. Long gone are his laser eyes and stitched-up mouth, replaced by a comic-inspired suit, crude jokes, and copious bloody action. He's centerstage for his origin story, as he goes from a terminally-ill former mercenary to a costumed crime-fighter, reuniting with his beloved Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and befriending X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) in the process. The film received love from all sides and grossed well over $780 million at the worldwide box office.

Unsurprisingly, this financial and critical prosperity led to a sequel, the aptly-titled Deadpool 2, in 2018. This time around, Wade is accompanied by friends old and new alike as he prevents the time-traveling Cable (Josh Brolin) from killing a troubled young mutant named Russell Collins (Julian Dennison). Through time travel antics after the main plot wraps up, he even prevents Ryan Reynolds from taking on Green Lantern and kills off the X-Men Origins Deadpool. Much like its predecessor, the film performed well with fans and critics alike and made over $780 million at the box office.

The studio switch and canceled projects

With the first two Deadpool movies standing as undeniable success stories, it seemed that Fox was primed for a new generation of mutant-centric movies. However, that notion was swiftly dashed in 2019 when Fox was sold to the Walt Disney Company for a staggering $71.3 billion. The studio's Marvel intellectual properties were folded into Marvel Studios and all remaining Marvel features in development were tossed. The Fox X-Men universe ultimately ended with The New Mutants, which finally debuted in 2020. Meanwhile, a Deadpool-focused and a Deadp??ool-adjacent story were left to fade into cinematic obscurity.

Thanks to the Fox-Disney deal, the original plan for Deadpool 3 was canned. According to Reynolds on X, the plan was for a road trip-style movie starring Deadpool and Wolverine akin to 1950's Rashomon. Dopinder actor Karan Soni noted that the film could've seen Deadpool venture to the North Pole to save Christmas. A movie focused on X-Force, the team introduced and almost completely killed off in Deadpool 2, was in progress as well and had been for years prior. It's unknown just how closely tied this film would've been to the Deadpool duology, t??????????????????????????hough Reynolds' Deadpool and Josh Brolin's Cable were said to be involved in some capacity.

Deadpool enters the House of Mouse

Even though Fox's take on a third Deadpool movie didn't come to fruition, it's no surprise that another Deadpool adventure became a viewable reality. From the moment Deadpool and the X-Men became fair game to join Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans began speculating on when they could expect them to arrive. In the years after 2019, mutants slowly started trickling their way into the sprawling franchise, but where was the movie announcement? September 2022 finally brought the news so many had been waiting for, that Deadpool 3 was on the way, but the excitement didn't e??nd there.

When Reynolds shared the news of Deadpool 3 being in development at Marvel Studios, he also revealed that Hugh Jackman would reprise the role of Wolverine for the feature, which was later renamed as Deadpool & Wolverine. Jackman previously retired from the character in 2017 via Logan after spending almost two decades within it. Further sweetening the deal, it came to light that, at long last, Jackman would don Wolverine's iconic yellow and blue suit for the film. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better way to cap off the Deadpool trilogy and to commemorate both Deadpool and Wolverine's first MCU appeara?nces.

With years worth of ups, downs, trials, and tribulations behind it, Deadpool's third and potentially most highly-anticipated movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, is now playing.

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Deadpool & Wolverine will send the titular duo on an epic journey across time to save Deadpool's timeline from a world-ending calamity. That threa?t goes by the name Cassandra Nova, and she's one of the X-Men's most powerful, dangerous, and disturbing villains.

Cassandra Nova is a twisted reflection of the X-Men's founder, Charles Xavier, and her origin story is a snarled web of revelations that even the mo??st die-hard X-Men fans have trouble keeping track of. So before Deadpool & Wolverine premieres this Fr??iday, let me tell you everything you need to know about Cassandra Nova.

Cassandra Nova is an extinction event made flesh

Cassandra Nova debuted in the pages of New X-Men #144, penned by the legendary comic author/artist duo Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly. To cut to the point, Cassandra is a mummudrai, a bodiless parasite from the Astral Plane. Attachin??g her??self to Xavier while he was still in the womb, Cassandra used Xavier’s DNA to create a body, becoming his twin sister.

Murder from the moment of her conception, Cassandra attempted to strangle Xavier with his own umbilical cord. Xavier used his nascent psychic powers to fight back, obliterating Cassandra’s body and leaving everyone to assume she’d died in the womb. Unfor???tunately for everyone, Cassandra survived, using her own psychic powers to build a new body and go into hiding.

Years after her conception, Cassandra made her presence known to her brother and his X-Men in the most horrific way possible. Using an armada of mutant-hunting Sentinel robots, Cassandra launched an all-out assault on the mutant sovereign nation of Genosha. This event, adapted with terrifying accuracy in the fifth episode of X-Men '97, left sixteen million mutants dead and inflicted? a scar on the X-Men that’s never f??????????????????????????ully healed.

Over the years, Cassandra has clashed with the X-Men multiple times, driven by an all-consuming hatred for the brother she failed to kill. Circumstances outside her control have driven Cassandra to join th??e X-Men occasionally, but her innate bloodlust always drives her back to the path of?? villainy.

Cassandra Nova is a nightmare on the psychic and genetic level

The X-Men villains are some of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe, and Cassandra is no exception. Cassandra, b??enign Xavier’s twin, has all of his abilities. Xavier's psychic powers are among the most powerful in the Marvel Universe, regularly invading the minds of millions of people. The only thing preventing Charles from enslaving or killing everyone on Earth is his restraint, a trait Cassandra sorely lacks.

On top of her psychic abilities, Cassandra can also manipulate DNA, allowing her to copy and alter her and others' genes. When she uses it against mutants, she can effectively steal their powers, making her the All-For-One of the Marvel Universe.

Who plays Cassandra in Deadpool and Wolverine?

Cassandra Nova will be the first X-Men villain to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, helping to usher in the MCU’s “Mutant Era.�?Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown, will play Cassandra in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Based on what we’ve seen in Deadpool & Wolverine’s trailers, Cassandra has taken over “The Void,�?the cosmic junkyard that Loki’s Time Variance Authority dumps everyone and everything that exis?ted on the countless timelines they’ve “pruned.�?Commanding an army of ??mutants, Cassandra has presumably set her sights on escaping the Void and unleashing her unique strain of chaos on the MCU’s main timeline.

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2024 has proven a trim year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with both screens big and small having little to offer from the franchise. Thankfully, the one and only theatrical outing for the year, Deadpool & Wolverine, doesn't appear to take that status lightly. As ev??idenced by the film's promotional material, Marvel fans are in for a wild, profanity-laden, Multiverse-exploring adventure with the Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) and his not-so-close friend, if you can call him a friend at all, Logan (Hugh Jackman).

Overall, Deadpool & Wolverine contains a lot of moving parts. As noted previously, it's a Multiverse story at its core, meaning that it will likely take audiences across different universes and beyond as the narrative unfolds. It's also more of a formal introduction of the X-Men to the MCU after their existence has merely been hinted at previously. Not to mention, it appears to be a swan song for the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise.

All of that is to say, for the casual viewer, Deadpool & Wolverine might appear pretty daunting, or even impenetrable at first glance. Luckily for you, true believe?r, wrapping your head around the upcoming feature isn't nearly as difficult as you might think. All you need to do is check out a small handful of previous Marvel projects to get the most out ??of the story.

Obviously, you'll want to watch the first two Deadpool movies

Though Deadpool & Wolverine is Deadpool's first outing in the MCU, it's certainly not his first solo movie. His first came in 2016 as the aptly-named Deadpool, with Deadpool 2 premiering two years later. Both films are violent, funny, emotional, and ??love to poke fun at the Marvel movie landscape, all while providing viewers with a pretty comic-accurate take on the lead character. Thus, they're both enjoyable viewings for new and seasoned Marvel fans alike.

In terms of prep for Deadpool & Wolverine, the two Deadpool movies are essential. They give you a good idea of what to expect from Wade Wilson and his costumed anti-hero antics, and establish his corner of the universe. According to trailers for the movie, the likes of Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), Peter (Rob Delaney), and more will appear and be central to Deadpool's story as he seeks to save his perfect life from a tragic end. Skipping these will only make Deadpool & Wolverine more difficult to be emotionally invested in.

Loki Season 1 and Season 2 are musts for Multiverse knowledge

The MCU-Disney+ initiative has turned out to be a pretty mixed bag since WandaVision kicked it off in 2021. Some shows are widely-criticized, while others are applauded by virtually all MCU fans. A title that falls into the latter category is Loki, where the God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) himself is tasked with not only saving the Multiverse, but coming to terms with the truth of his glorious purpose. It's dramatic, action-packed, a real tear-jerker at times, and evidence th?at MCU is and can continue to be great going forward.

Multiple projects have dealt with the Multiverse concept throughout the MCU's Multiverse Saga, but not all are necessary viewing to understand it. On the whole, Loki does the best job of explaining it and depicting its many complicated ideas. It puts the spotlight on the Time Variance Authority as well, thoroughly going over their role in the maintenance of the timestream. Seeing as the Multiverse and the TVA have a prominent role in Deadpool & Wolverine, giving the two Loki seasons a watch ahead of the film is in your best interest. As mentioned, too, the show is tremendous and worth binging anywa?y.

The Wolverine trilogy, maybe

Despite being one of the most popular comic book character movie castings of all time, Jackman's Wolverine doesn't have the greatest trilogy. X-Men Origins: Wolverine from 2009 was a big swing-and-a-miss, turning in a bloated story with poor CGI and misguided attempts at adapting X-Men comic favorites. 2013's The Wolverine stepped things up, but is often overlooked. Then came 2017's Logan, which remains regarded among the greatest comic book movies ever. These movies are only loosely connected narratively,? making the overall trilogy a somewhat disjointed watch.

So, is Wolverine's trilogy a needed watch before Deadpool & Wolverine? On the one hand, yes. It puts Jackman's Wolverine on full display in a range of settings, creating depth and complexity for the character. Some of the movies and moments from them are solid watches to boot. Still, it's unknown if the Wolverine of Deadpool & Wolverine is even from the Fox universe, so in terms of backstory, this trilogy might be entirely?? useless. It might be best to consider it opt??ional.

What about the X-Men movies?

If it wasn't for Fox's X-Men saga, odds are the MCU wouldn't be what it is today. 2000's X-Men was a game-changer, showing that superheroes could be brought to live-action effectively and find success with general audiences. While subsequent films didn't always maintain that mark of quality, there are enough successes within the franchise for it to be regarded as a triumph. Decades later, nostalgia for these movies has kicked in heavily, hence why Deadpool & Wolverine is giving the Fox films and their actors one last chance to shine??.

Which X-Men movies should you watch ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine though? Considering the presence of Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) and Toad (Ray Park), X-Men is likely a good choice, as are X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand bearing in mind Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu) and Pyro's (Aaron Stanford) inclusions. Azazel (Jason Flemyng) makes an appearance as well, so put X-Men: First Class on the watchlist. Otherwise, the rest might be skippable, at least when taking into account what Deadpool & Wolverine's teasers ha?ve shown off. Perhaps we'll be prov?en wrong once the film releases on July 26.

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July is officially upon us, meaning that the highly-anticipated release of Deadpool & Wolverine is less than a month away. After seven years away from the big screen, having previously seemed to retire from the role with director James Mangold's Logan, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is back on an ultra-violent, timeline-hopping adventure. Of course, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool is righ??t by his side to get in on the fun.

As if this team-up isn't enough to sell you on the film, though, fret not. Marvel Studios is going all-out to make the third film in the Deadpool trilogy a must-see cinematic event. Deadpool & Wolverine looks like it will be all kinds of bonkers. Not only have Multiverse variants of the two titular mutants been teased heavily, but so have appearances from other notable Marvel characters. Pyro is back following his last appearance in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, and Cassandra Nova has been revealed as the film's central antagonist. However, the con??firmed list doesn't stop there.

In a recent teaser for Deadpool & Wolverine, fans were treated to the re-emergence of Sabretooth, portrayed yet again by former pro wrestler Tyler Mane. He last appeared in the role in 2000's X-Men from 20th Century Fox, and he doesn't appear to have aged a day. He also doesn't seem to have forgotten either of his fights with Wolverine in said film. The first ends with him running in retreat, with the second seeing h?im unceremoniously knocked off of the Statue of Liberty by Cyclops' optic blast.

The trailer ends with him and Logan just about to cross claws, fulfilling a rematch fans have wanted for over two decades. In reality, though, Jackman's Wolverine and Mane's Sabretooth have already clashed for a third time in a video game many seem to have forgotten about.

Wolverine vs. Sabretooth III took place in 2006's X-Men: The Official Game

As was the norm in the 2000s, X-Men: The Last Stand received a tie-in video game. Aptly titled X-Men: The Official Game, this game seeks to bridge the narrative gap between X2: X-Men United and The Last Stand. Throughout the game, you'll play as Nightcrawler, Iceman, and, of course, Wolverine. Their levels play into a larger narrative regarding William Stryker's Sentinel program wreaking havoc following his death in X2. To ??make the story a bit more compelling, each playable character is given a more persona?l goal.

While Nightcrawler seeks inner peace from visions of Jason Stryker and Iceman tries to find his footing as an X-Man, Logan seeks out the mysteries of his past. In doing so, he's brought face-to-face with two of his old adversaries, Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth. Unlike Deathstrike, though, you face Sabretooth twice during the Wolverine campaign. First is a simulated rematch at the Statue of Liberty in the Danger Room, and second is a real fight and their official X-Men rematch aboard the Ma??ster Mold. Sabretooth loses for the third time, falling from a great height and being impaled by a piece of rebar, left to wallow in agony as Wolverine walks away.

Is X-Men: The Official Game actually canon?

Both Jackman and Mane reprise their respective X-Men roles for X-Men: The Official Game, beating their Deadpool & Wolverine rematch to the punch by almost 20 years. But is X-Men: The Official Game actually considered canon to the Fox X-Men series? It certainly seems that way. It goes out of its way to connect the second and third X-Men films, introducing concepts like the Danger Room before they made it to the movies and explaining Nightcrawler's disappearance in The Last Stand. It also features a host of actors from the films, eve?n those whose charact??ers aren't playable.

The game honestly does better than the subsequent X-Men movies in terms of maintaining continuity. Fox notoriously played it fast-and-loose after The Last Stand. Sequences of events don't always line up, the ages of characters change from film to film, and recasts and redesigns are abundant. Even Sabretooth himself falls victim to this practice, being revealed to be Wolverine's brother in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where actor Liev Schreiber would replace Mane.

We'll have to wait and see if Deadpool & Wolverine mentions Wolverine and Sabretooth's Master Mold fight or the X-Men: The Official Game at all when the film premieres on July 26.

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Deadpool & Wolverine is sending the Marvel Cinematic Universe's rumor mill into overdrive, and a new bit of buzz has given it even more juice. If Tweets from a trusted leaker, Ryan Reynolds, and the film's director are trustworthy, the Incredible Hulk will make a smashing cameo appearance in Deadpool & Wolveri

Deadpool & Wolverine insiders have been dropping Hulk hints for months

The first hint that the Incredible Hulk might appear in Deadpool & Wolverine came from an X (formally known as Twitter) user named Holyfield News. This supposed MCU insider is known for making spicy (and accurate) predictions?? about upcoming Marvel films. In a tweet posted on June 30, Holyfield News claimed that Hugh Jackson's Wolverine would go claws-to-fists with the Incredible Hulk.

HolyField New's prediction aligns with comments the leaker made in a post they wrote back in March, in which they claimed that Hulk would appear in Deadpool and Wolverine and that Mark Ruffalo, who's played the MCU version of Br?uce Banner since 2012, w??ould return to fill in the role.

While the word a leaker with no public identity comes with more than a few grains of salt, Holyfield News isn't the only one teasing that the Hulk will show up and throw his big, green hands in Deadpool & Wolverine. Shawn Levy, the film's director, expressed his interest in seeing Ruffalo's Hulk cr??oss paths with Ryan?? Reynolds' Deadpool, albeit in an underhanded way.

Ruffalo and Reynolds previously worked together under Levy in The Adam Project, and the director posted a promotional image of the two stars together. Interestingly, Reynolds and Ruffalo are next to a Rubbermaid cooler with a sticker of the Incred??ible Hulk and Deadpool's logo. The first comment on the post is a cryptic statement from Levy, wh??o refers to the picture as "The showdown we’ve been waiting for..."

Levy posted his little tease over a year before Marvel and Disney unveiled Deadpool & Wolverine, so it's about as far from an official confirmation as it gets. However, Ruffalo has worked with Levy on other films, including All the Light We Can See and Date Night, so the two have an established relationship that could clear the way for Ruffalo's Hulk to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Wolverine and Hulk have a long-standing rivalry in comics that Marvel fans have been waiting to see on film for years

Most comic fans associate Wolverine with the X-Men, but his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 saw him go toe-to-toe with the titular green-skinned brute. While the two have since mended fences and fought side-by-side, they just as often come to blows, locked in an eternal struggle to see who'd win in a real fight.

"Who'd win, Wolverine or Hulk?" is a debate that Marvel fans have been perpetuating for decades, and Jackman and Ruffalo have given their thoughts on it before. In an interview with Sirius XM, posted on ComicBook.com, Jackman complimented Ruffalo's take on the Hulk but asserted Wolverine would win. Ruffalo also expressed his desire to see Hulk and Wolverine fight it out on the big screen in an interview with The Marvelists.

With Jackman and Ruffalo voicing their support, it's safe to say that the odds of Hulk and Wolverine throwing down in Deadpool & Wolverine are looking pretty high. Of course, we'll have to wait until the movie hits theaters in July to see if t??he fight Marvel fans have been waiting for happens.

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When people think of perfect comic book character movie castings, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is at the forefront. Despite being considerably taller than the Marvel Comics version of the character (and not a Canadian, either!), Jackman excelled at bringing Logan's ferocity, dry wit, and raw emotion to t?he big screen.

Jackman will again don those adamantium claws for the highly-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine. At long last, Marvel fans will get to see him and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool team up for all kinds of blood-soaked, fourth-wall-breaking fun. Though it stands to reason that this version of Wolverine isn't the same as the one seen in the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise, given his costume and the fact that that character's story is over, now is still as good a time as a??ny to look back on Jackman's previous Logan performances.

At this point, Jackman's work as Wolverine is well-documented. He featured in a bevy of X-Men titles: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men the Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Along the way, he found time to star in his own trilogy, consisting of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, and the aforementioned Logan. While one might think this is where the story ends regarding his past performances, he'??s actually portrayed t?he character twice more and two often overlooked projects that are both worth remembering.

Jackman's Wolverine gaming debut came in X-Men: The Official Game

As the wait for X-Men: The Last Stand wound down, Activision released a video game tie-in. X-Men: The Official Game, the story bridges the gap between X2 and The Last Stand, splitting up the titular team as individuals and groups go on different missions. It all culminates in the X-Men battling Sentinels created by William Stryker to destroy all mutants. The villainous HYDRA faction is also a persistent threat throughout the ??game.

The game allows players to control three different X-Men: Nightcrawler, Iceman, and, of course, Wolverine. Jackman voices Wolverine here and delivers a strong performance throughout the game. His line reads breathe life into the otherwise pretty lifeless cutscenes, and everything from his grunts and groans as he takes damage to his quips as he mows down enemies are delivered perfectly. Gamers also get to explore a bit of his past, learn more about his foes like Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth, and battle the Silver Samurai long before his movie debut in The Wolverine.

Though the game isn't the strongest X-Men title out there and has largely fallen into obscurity over the years, the lore, the strong graphics for the era, and the performances like Jackman's make it a worthwhile play. Not to mention, the game features Wolverine's comic costume as an unlockable. Seeing as the character model features Jackman's likeness, this game technically beat Deadpool & Wolverine to the punch in? putting the actor in such a suit.

Jackman voiced Wolverine in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine tie-in game

After being the X-Men film series's focal point for almost a decade, Wolverine finally received a spotlight all his own in 2009. X-Men Origins: Wolverine promised to tell Logan's tale from long before he joined the X-Men. Unfortunately, t??he film was a bloated, inconsistent nightmare that remains one of the most widely-maligned superhero flicks ??of all time. Thankfully, the video game tie-in of the same name performed much better with the general public and is fondly remembered by those who played it.

As one would imagine, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game covers similar narrative ground as the movie, albeit with some additional and revised material to make it stand out. Jackman voices Logan perfectly yet again, making players feel lik?e the character more than the hack-and-slash combat and copious amounts of bloodshed already do. Further sweetening the deal, the game includes Wolverine's classic comic book outfits. Once again, the gaming world got Jackman's Wolverine in yellow and blue before Deadpool & Wolverine was even so much a thought.

With these two games in mind, and including Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman has portrayed Wolverine an impressive 11 times. Only time will tell if he'll make that total grow beyond h?is Deadpool adventure or if that feature will be his true send-off this time around.

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Fortnite, the popular battle royale game, is seemingly set to introduce another Marvel superhero skin soon. A reliable Fortnite leaker, @ShiinaBR on Twitter, has revealed that Epic Games is looking to bring the ‘Weapon X�?skin to Fortnite.

The skin will have five items as part of the cosmetic bundle and is based on a character from Marvel's X-Men series. Shiina claims that the skin will arrive in Fortnite on ??July 5, but its shop section is “still unfinished�?at the moment.

For those unfamiliar, Weapon X was the codename for the Wolverine after he underwent a series of twisted experiments to create the perfect weapon. The leaked Fortnite skin carries the look inspired by the comics and the X-Men '97 animated series, with Wolverine wearing a metal helmet that is used to control him. Those who have seen the X-Men Apocalypse movie would also be able to recognise the?? skin, as the movie featured a cameo from Hugh Jackman donning ??the Weapon X look.

Since we’re on the subject, it is more than plausible that the Wolverine skin is coming in to continue the hype, not just for the revived X-Men '97 animated series but also for the Deadpool and Wolverine movie, which ?is slated for a release next month?? on July 26.

Fortnite has long been the home for crossovers in gaming, with collaborations across pop culture with artists, movie characters, and more. There have been a handful of Marvel characters who have made their way to the game, some even as playable characters. Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Thanos, Loki, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Thor are just some of the many who have been added to Fortnite at some point. Most recently, Hulk and Hela were added in Chapter 5 Season 2 in April 2024, and interestingly, it was their look from Thor: Ragnarok, the MCU movie that came out in 2017.

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Over the years, numerous Marvel Comics icons have made their way into the realm of gaming. Alongside such titans as Spide??r-Man and Iron Man is Wolverine, who has popped up in all kinds of widely-beloved titles.

The many mainline Marvel vs. Capcom games, the X-Men Legends duology, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance franchise, and more all feature Logan prominently, giving gamers the chance to hack and slash through enemies with his adamantium claws at their leisure. At the same time, there are some Wolverine-including titles that have fallen by the wayside as time has gone on, chief among them being X2: Wolverine's Revenge.

The Wolverine game that time forgot

Way back in the early 2000s, Marvel media was in a vastly different place. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had yet to launch, and comic book adaptations were far from "in." Director Sam Raimi's Spider-Man series and the X-Men franc??hise from 20th Century Fox carried the torch for superhero cinema in this period, so these characters were some of the few to get the video game treatment.

Though many recognize 2006's X-Men: The Official Game as the only X-Men movie tie-in game of this era, that's not technically true. Wolverine's Revenge was marketed as a tie-in to 2003's X2: X-Men United, complete wit?h Hugh Jackman as the title character on the cover and Sir Patrick Stewart as the voice of Professor Charles Xavier. In practice, though, this is a comic book-based game that has no substantial con??nection to the movies.

Wolverine's Revenge follows a New X-Men-looking Wolv??erine (voiced by the iconic Mark Hamill) as he seeks a cur??e for a deadly illness called the Shiva Strain, which he was infected with during his time in the Weapon X program. With only two days to find the cure before it kills him, he traverses frozen tundras and mercenary-filled bases. Along the way, you'll battle villains Magneto (Fred Tatasciore), Sabretooth (Tatasciore), and Lady Deathstrike (Gwendoline Yeo) and encounter fellow X-Men like Colossus (Ted Nordblum) and Rogue (Jennifer Hale).

In terms of gameplay, Wolverine's Revenge is interesting. Despite ?Wolverine's reputation for running around teari??ng his enemies to shreds, there's quite a heavy emphasis on stealth here. You find yourself using heightened senses to do everything from track and stealth kill enemies to spot hidden landmines.

If you do try to brute force it from checkpoint to checkpoint, you'll quickly be? on the hunt for health pickups or in use of Wolverine's healing factor.

Thankfully, enduring the tedious stealth and being mindful of your health does allow you to have some beat 'em up fun here and there. You can punch, kick, and claw your way throug??h enemies, even throwing them around if you so choose. Wolverine also has a special Strike move capable of damaging one or more enemies with the push of a butt?on.

As with all great games of the era, Wolverine does have a rage meter that fills up by attacking enemies and taking damage. When it's full, Wolverine can temporarily enter Feral Ra?ge mode. Movement speed and damage output will increase for the duration.

Why X2: Wolverine's Revenge became a forgotten Marvel video game

So, what went wrong that led to Wolverine's Revenge being in relative obscurity for over 20 years? For starters, t??he story isn't the most captivating, and the overall presentation isn't very enticing.

Much of the game is draped in a gray, black, and white color palette, so it's not much to look at. Worse yet, the stealth and combat mechanics are clunky, which one could forgive if it wasn't for the difficulty curve being so steep. Wolverine's Revenge loves to t??hrow enemies and harmful obstacles at you in spades, with health pickups and checkpoints frustratingly spaced out.

Simply put, there were better-looking and more enjoyable X-Men games out at the time of the game's release, making it hard to put in the work to enjoy it. As its contemporaries soared to new heights, Wolverine's Revenge? became increasingly less impressive. Those who played it as kids way back when might have a soft spot for it, but if they pick it up today, it likely won't take long for the nostalgia to wane.

Wolverine is an indisputable Marvel icon. After all, the opportunity for Jackman to go back on his Wolverine retirement for Deadpool & Wolverine likely wouldn'?t have arisen if there wasn't so much love and passion out there for the character.

Sadly, Wolverine's Revenge didn't quite live up to the titular hero's legacy then, and it certainly doesn't all these years later. Sure, there's some fun to be had with it, but it's far from the definitive Wolverine gaming experience. One can only hope that Insomniac's Wolverine doesn't follow a similar path to Wolverine's Revenge, lest it become just ??another so-so Marvel game lost to time.

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'Tolerance is Extinction—Part 3' brought the first season of Disney's X-Men '97 to a finale that was as emotional as it was epic. While our titular heroes send Bastion and his army of Prime Sentinels to the scrap heap, the rest of the world as??sumes that Charles Xavier and his students sacrificed themselves to save them.

Of course, this is a Marvel series, and the final moments of X-Men 97's finale reveal that the X-Men are alive. The episode also hints at where the show's already-confirmed second season may be heading. There's a lot to discuss, so let's break down the final episode of X-Men '97 and wh??at its many r?evelations and cameos mean for the series' future.

X-Men '97's finale ends one story and begins a few more

To say that ?things don't look good for the X-Men at the start of 'Tolerance is Extinction—Part 3' is quite an understatement. By the end of the previous episode, a Bastion-possessed Cable had dealt a seemingly fatal blow to Jean Grey, and Xavier was locked in a psychic duel with Magneto, who was trying to send Asteroid M crashing down to Earth.

Thankfully, the tides of ??battle soon turn in the X-Men's favor. Xavier convinces Magneto to let go of his pain and fight for a better future. At the same time, a Phoenix-Force-empowered Jean slaps a power-dampening collar onto Bastion, cutting the Prime Sentinel threat off at its source. Refusing to accept defeat, Bastion forces Asteroid M to continue its collision course, driving the U.N. to initiate the "Magneto Protocols" and send a wave of warheads toward the meteor.

Pulling toge?ther as a team, the X-Men fight as one and bring Bastion to his knees, all?owing Magneto to stop Asteroid M's descent with his magnetic powers. Unfortunately, Asteroid M explodes, and the X-Men and Magneto are caught in the blast, leaving Juibille, Sunspot, and Forge as the only apparent heirs of Xavier's dream. However, six months later, a despondent Forge is approached by the X-Men's time-traveling ally, Bishop, who reveals that the team is alive but scattered across time.

The past and future of the X-Men is apocalyptic

One group of time-displaced X-Men, consisting of Beast, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Magneto, and Xavier, finds itself in ancient Egypt. They quickly run to the aid of a chalky-skinned mutant menaced by soldiers. After Xavier smooths things over with his telepathy, the mutant reveals his name is En Sabah Nur, which X-Men fans will recognize as the original nom-de-plume of the iconic X-Men villain Apocalypse.

As this happens, Cyclops and Jean awaken in a distant, barren future, where they encounter a clan of robed, tattooed warriors known as Clan Askani, another Apocalypse-related name that comic fans might have clocked. The clan's leader, Mother Askani, arrives to question the pair, accompanied by a preteen version of their son Nathan Summers. Nathan, born in the seri??es' second episode, had to be sent to the future after the Tec?hno-Organic Virus infected him, and it looks like this is where he ended up.

On top of all this, a post-credits scene confirms almost beyond a doubt that Apocalypse will be the big bad of X-Men 97's second season. Surveying the ruins of Genosha, the mutant nation that went up in smoke in X-Men 97's fifth ??episode, the present-incarnation version of Apocalypse muses on the sorry-state mutantkind is cur?rently in, scooping one of Gambit's charred playing cards out from the ashes before smiling ominously.

The X-Men may be about to enter the age of apocalypse

If the hints are anything to go on, X-Men 97's second season will be a mash-up of several X-Men storylines centered around Apocalypse. While Apocalypse was one of the main villains of X-Men: The Animated Series, the series never explored the origins of the first mutant. With members of the X-Men face-to-face with the man who will become Apocalypse, X-Men '97's second season is perfectly positioned to adapt 1996's "The Rise of Apocalypse," which followed En Sabah Nur's rise from rebellious slave to tyrannical villain.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cyclops and Jean's bleak future shares more than a few elements with the one featured in the infamous "Age of Apocalypse" storyline. This crossover event depicts an alternate timeline created when Xavier's time-traveling son, Legion, accidentally kills his father before he forms the X-Men, allowing Apocalypse to conquer the world. Since the first season of X-Men '97 focused on villains who wanted to exterminate mutants, it would make sense for ?the second ??season to pit the team against a foe who seeks to bring about mutant supremacy.

Apocalypse's interest in Gambit, who gave his life to end the massacre of Genosha, might be the subtlest nod of them all, but it's one fan of the Cajun card-slinger (like me) who was happy to see. During the "Blood of Apocalypse" storyline, Gambit joined the ranks of Apocalypse's guard, the Four Horseman, specifically occupying the seat of Death. With Wolverine, who also became a Horseman, MIA, there's plenty of reason to worry that some of the most powerful X-Men may not be fighting on the side of justice in X-Men '97 Season 2.

X-Men '97 sets the stage for an epic extended animated universe

If there's one thing that X-Men '97 made clear throughout its ten-episode run, it's that the X-Men aren't the only superheroes in this animated reimagining of the Marvel Universe. X-Men: The Animated Series aired alongside a few animated Marvel shows, including Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Fantastic Four, and Incredible Hulk. Characters from one show would regularly cameo in another, and X-Men '97 proved that i??t was ready to continue that pattern ve??ry early on.

While Captain America's surprise debut in episode 7, "Bright Eyes," was a delightful surprise, small potatoes compared to the array of cameos that crop up throughout the final three episodes. Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther are just a few of the heroes who show up to lend a hand in the fight against the Prime Sentinels. Perhaps the most surprising was the appearance of Spider-Man, who appeared both in costume and as Peter Pakerer, standing shoul??der-to-shoulder with Mary Jane? Watson and Flash Thompson as Asteroid M closes in on Earth.

With most of the team on opposite ends of history and an increasing focus on non-mutant heroes, it looks like X-Men '97's second season plans to build on everything that made the first season great while expanding the series' scope to greater heights. Now that the stakes are higher than ever, o?nly time will tell what the future holds for the X-Men.

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You know him, you love him, and even if you think you don’t �?you do. Prolific doesn’t even begin to describe Yuri Lowenthal’s voice acting c?areer, as the actor has over 800 credi??ts to his name across movies, TV shows, and video games.

When Lowenthal is not voicing major superheroes and lovable main characters, he’s tackling all sorts of background characters in smaller franchises you may have heard of, like Mortal Kombat, Fallout, Mass Effect, and Final Fantasy. Most recently, he even confirmed his involvement in Helldivers 2, a performance, "heavily inspired by? Starship Troo??pers."

I could write a novel-length piece about ?Lowenthal’s ridiculous career, but this little overview into just?? a smattering of his best roles will have to do.

Ice-Man/Bobby Drake (X-Men)

It’s hard to really make an impact in the X-Men franchise. There are so many characters with so much history that most fans already have their favorites picked out. Despite that, Lowenthal definitely managed to move the needle when he portrayed Bobby Drake, and he made Ice-Man into a top-tier character for a generation of X-Man fans, myself included.

He voiced Ice-Man in Wolverine and the X-Men back in 2008 and again in 2014’s Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers. The Wolverine series is the only one that’s really w??orth watching, but Lowenthal is a joy in both shows.

Tobias Nebbins (Catherine)

This is the first character I think of when I think of Yuri Lowenthal, but admittedly I’m a bit of an oddball. Toby was a supporting character in Atlus' 2011 Catherine, and his cringe-worthy, but somehow charming, obsession with finding love has stuck with me ever s??ince. Toby is a great example of how Lowenthal evokes pathos, even in his comic relief performances.

More importantly, he’s emblematic of all the other work Lowenthal has done with Atlus, including multiple Shin Megami Tensei and Persona projects. In Persona 4 (and P4: Golden), Lowenthal plays Yosuke Hanamura, a core member of the investigation team. He played the lead character Makoto Yuki in Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight, and he recently had a small role as Eiichiro Takeba, the scientist who created Aigis, in Persona 3 Reload.

Ben Tennyson (Ben 10: Alien Force)

If you were a Cartoon Network kid like me, then you know exactly who Ben Tennyson is. In Ben 10: Alien Force, the conveniently named kid got access to an alien armband that allowed him to transform into different creatures. Naturally, he needed to take on a new alien form every week to deal with another extraterrestrial and existential threat to t??????????????????????????he planet. Lowenthal voiced the character through multiple shows and vid??eo game tie-ins, and his performance elevated Ben from a goofy cartoon character to a bona fide sci-fi hero. 

Frodo (Lord of the Rings)

Elijah Wood is inarguably our live-action Frodo, but for over a decade, Lowenthal has been the iconic Hobbit’s video game counterpart. Lowenthal first tackled the character in 2009’s The Lord of the Rings: Conquest on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox ?360, and �?bizarrely �???Nintendo DS.

Since then he’s played the character five more times in various video games, but it’s been a while since we’ve gotten to see him sink back into the role. His last outing as Mr. Baggins was in Lego Dimensions all the way back in 2015. Lowenthal’s take ??on the character is the only one that comes close to Wood’s portrayal, so hopefully, we’ll see him back in the r??ole someday.

He-Man

Even when Lowenthal is playing heroes, he seems to gravitate toward characters who rely on brains over brawn. Whether it's Peter Parker or Donatello, Lowenthal doesn't often end up being the voice behind muscle-bound warriors like He-Man. But in Netflix's Master of the Universe, Lowenthal stepped into the shoes of the mightiest hero around and nailed it. There’s a definite throughline from Lowenthal’s previous roles to He-Man, but if you aren’t already a believe??r (and really you should be), then this show will prove to you that Lowenthal doesn’t just play one-note heroes. 

Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

For a long time, it was easy to say that Sasuke Uchiha was Lowenthal’s most iconic character. Now there’s a certain web slinger who’s vying for that title, but for a generation of anime fans, Sasuke is still the man. Lowenthal started voicing Sasuke when Naruto ?started airing in 2007, and since then he’s stepped into the vocal booth countless times to pick the chara??cter back up.

More than any other character, Sasuke has given Lowenthal the chance to act his way through an entire heroic journey, complete with epic failures and inspiring redemption arcs. I’m not going anywhere near the subs v dubs debate, but Lowenthal’s talent alone is a compelling reason to experience Naruto in English. 

Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Everyone knows that Lowenthal voiced Peter Parker in the PlayStation Spider-Man games, but that franchise wasn’t his first outing as the wall crawler. Lowenthal actually first voiced Spider-Man in two different 2008 video games: ZEN Pinball and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows.

Since then, he's voiced the character more than a dozen times in various animated shows and video games. In my opinion, Lowenthal is one of the best Peter Parkers that we’ve ever gotten. He’s got the comedic timing that makes the webhead so entertaining, but he also really understands the more tragic aspects of the character. In his performance as Peter, Lowenthal really captures the melancholy optimism that has been a part of the char??acter’s comi?c book persona for decades. 

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$5,988,089 funded

Sometimes we touch o??n the realm of tabletop here at Destructoid, and this bit of news is definitely worth hitting.

Marvel United, a joint effort between Spin Master and CMON, made some waves with their initial (now "Season 1") Kickstarter for their miniature/card g??ame hybrid project. The gist is that each player picks whatever hero they choose (who come?s with an accompanying deck of 12 action cards), then battle it out against an automated villain who has their own deck in a co-op format.

The combination of the hobby-level chibi minis and the easy to learn card g??ame style took off, as the Kickstarter soared to $2.8 million in funding, and a positive word of mouth following the launch of various expansions: like the addition of Thanos, Sinister Six, and Guardians of the Galaxy to the game.

Just a few weeks ago they launched their "Season 2" springboard, catapulting them into a funding effort that closed last night to the tune of $5,988,089 in funding. That puts them as the 10th overall most-funded gaming Kickstarter of all time, including all v?ideo games and general "gaming" categori?es.

For reference, Season 2 opens up from the "core set" (due in September) with familiar X-faces like Wolverine, Cyclops, and Magneto, followed by expansions for Apocalypse, First Class, Blue vs. Gold Team, X-Force, Phoenix Five, De??adpool, Days of Future Past, and a surprise-last-minute Fantastic Four addition.

The heavy focus on add-ons as well as optional "upgrades" (like sturdier cardboard and premium plastic tokens) above and beyond the scope of Season 1 helped raise the Kickstarter's profile and moved them into the near-six-million mark. It a??lso helped that unlike CMON's previous Kickstarters, the team offered a giant bundle of legacy content for $220: to help sate folks who missed the original crowdfunding campaign.

I was recently ??hooked in actually, having picked up the all-in Season 1 bundle just recently. Although it seems casual on the surface, the game clearly shows its true colors as you move on to expansions; allowing the?? game to expand its mechanics a bit and ramp up. The best part? It's modular, so you can tweak the difficulty to you and your group's comfort level. It's the kind of thing I can show hardcore tabletop fans and complete newcomers without alienating either.

Marvel United [Kickstarter]

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Sadly, no six-player control option

The best tech you probably won't be able to afford this year is on display this week at CES 2021. Phones, televisions, and various smart devices are expected to be the highlights, but?? for me, I'm most excited?? about what Arcade1Up unveils at the show. And this year, it's bringing one game I'd absolutely love to have in my home.

Joining the company's Mid-Sized Arcade Collection this year are Killer Instinct, Dragon's Lair, and X-Men. In regard to the latter cabinet, it features Konami's X-Men, the outstanding beat 'em up from 19??94 that could be played with up to six people at once if you could find the deluxe, two-screen arcade unit. I remember playing that version at summer camp one year. Was I stuck playing as Dazzler? Sure. Was it amazing? You're goddamn right it was.

If you're int?erested, here is what's included with the three n?ew cabinets:

X-Men Live

• Konami's X-Men
• Captain America and The Avengers
• The Avengers in Galactic Storm

Killer Instinct

• Killer Instinct
• Killer Instinct 2
• BattleToads Arcade

Dragon's Lair

• Dragon's Lair
• Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp
  
• Space Ace

In addition to these cabinets, Arcade1Up is also debuting its firs??t four-player pub-style cabinet featuring licensed Atari games and new 12-game Legacy Edition cabinets for Bandai Namco, Capcom, Atari, and a few still to be nam??ed.

As much as I'd love the idea of getting my mitts on X-Men, I don't think I can justify making the purchase for just one game. Also, I'm still twiddling my thumbs here, waiting for my X-Men vs. Street Fighter cabinet to arrive.

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More like the Sex-Men, am I right?

It was recently announced that the Channing Tatum Gambit movie was going to be a romantic sex comedy. This is an inherently ridiculous idea that I'd love see coming to screen, but we all need to stop fooling ourselves right now: The Gambit movie is never happening. It just isn't. We've been through this enough times to know by now. Channing Tatum is lying to you. It isn't going to happen. And even if somehow against all ??odds it does happen, under Disney's control it isn't going to be the sex comedy we deserve.

Now that the idea is out there, though, someone needs to write it down, to bring it to life. As a person who liked Gambit on the X-Men cartoon and then saw the fi??rst three X-Men movies, I feel there's no one on earth more qualified to write this movie than me. I've cons??tructed it below. You're welcome.

Gambit of Love

Tagline: He's explosive. She's removed. But love ??is one ?gambit they'll both bet on.

Gambit walks the Louisianan streets looking for crimes to bust when he stumbles u?pon the perfect op??portunity.

Gambit learns that Daphne Dubuisson is vacationing in New Orleans after a bad breakup. She needs to disappear into the bustle of the city but misses the quiet Kansas barn where she spent beautiful long summers and made her most cherished memories. Gam?bit barely listens, but his mystery intrigues her.

That is until a possible rival appears during ?a hot Mardi Gras night.

After that, Gambit's dignity is wounded, a??nd Daphne sees a more sensitive side to the crime fighter. She take??s him to her hotel room to explore even more of the man. And when he drops his jeans she's in for a somewhat small surprise.

More wounded than ever, Gambit tumbles into the streets in an impotent fury. He finds Wolverine, and as they drink and reminisce Gambit comes to believe the two are bonding despite their differences, but it's not so! Wolverine only plies Gambit with drinks and sets him loose inside a strip club, before headi?ng to Daphne's hotel and letting her know what he's up to.

Daphne flees for home, hea??rtbroken by the Creole cruelty dealt to her, and as Gambit realizes his mistakes he knows the one place she's sure to return to--her old family barn.

And so there you have it. It might not be perfect. It might not have enough dick jokes, but at least it exists. That's more than you can say about any proposed Gambit movie that has ever or will ever be announced. Never trust anyone who ever says the words "Gambit movie." Gambit died entombed in the sinking ship that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and he's never coming back.

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Womanizers are so hot right now

Look, I know that comic book movie news often takes little quotes and blows them out of proportion, and maybe this information from Gambit producer Simon Kinberg is just that, so I'm going to start by letting his?? quote speak for itself with the full ??context available to me. 

"W?hen you look at Gambit he’s a hustler and a womanizer and we just felt like there was an attitude, a swagger to him, that lent itself to romantic comedy .?.. Deadpool was an R-rated, raunchy comedy, Logan was a western, Gambit’s gonna be a romantic comedy, and New Mutants is very decidedly a horror film ... You know, when I say romantic comedy, I use that term loosely, in the same term that I use the term western for Logan loosely. It’s not like they’re gunslingers at high noon in Logan. It’s just a vibe. And I would say the vibe of Gambit has a romantic or sex comedy vibe t?o it. While it is also still very much a superhero movie with villains and heroes, as all these movies are."

First off, Logan isn't loosely a western, it is a western. You don't need cowbo?y hats and ??swinging saloon doors to be a western, Simon. 

Second, I'm not a big Gambit fan from the comics, but I'm not sure I ever thought of a romantic comedy with him in it when I did see the character. In fact, his relationship with Rogue is one of the most heartfelt and powerful in all of comics, not something you'd play for laughs with a stupid sex joke about not being able to touch each other (not to say Rogue has even been confirmed for the film). I guess since Channing Tatum will play Gambit there's some hope that he'll be able to steer away from cringey into ch?arm, but I had thought with his casting we'd get something more than a Cajun drawl and bad puns about playing cards. 

Third, this may or may not happen. Fox is going full steam ahead with Gambit, reshoots on New Mutants to make the film scarier, a screenplay for a Multiple Man movie, and the upcoming Deadpool sequel, X-Force, but Disney has already said that the only films safe when they take over will be the ones already in production so pretty much anything not shooting could be ditched altogether. Rom-com Gambit may never see the light of day.

Overall, Fox and Kinberg are hit and miss with their approach to characters in the X-Men universe. Deadpool and Logan are amazing examples of going outside the box, but this guy also wrote Fantastic Four. I'm not entirely sure ?they learned the right lessons from?? those films if this is the direction they're going with Gambit. 

Gambi??t?? Movie Will be a Romantic Comedy, Says Producer [IGN]

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He's basically the Thanos of Marvel movies now

I think we all knew t??his was coming, though I've got a strong argument for why it shouldn't, but Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, confirmed in an interview with THR that the X-Men will be housed under the Marvel umbrella once the Fox merger goes through. Iger had to be a bit candid because it's illegal for Fox to not pretend like everything is normal, but he basically told everyone in charge of X-Men at Fox that they sh??ould start looking for another job.

"I think it only makes sense. I want to be careful here because of what's been communicat??ed to the Fox folks, but I think they know. It only makes sense for Marvel to be supervised by one entity. There shouldn't be two Marvels," he sa??id.

Duh. Obvious statement is obvious. 

My issue is that I kind of liked the two being separate. I know that's there's tons of awesome plots that could happen with crossovers and lots of cool things, but there's already a bajillion characters in both these cinematic universes. Let em' play by themselves. They're OK doing that, especially with Feige at the helm as he's pretty good at understanding characters and what they can be used for. Keeping them apart will also give Disney and Marvel some wiggle room in maki??ng more R-?rated movies, which a boy can always dream about. Luckily, Iger's statement doesn't preclude this so there's still a chance.

As for Deadpool. Evidently, Feige has "a lot of ideas." 

There's a metric ton of goodies in the Iger interview on a ??host of Disney s?ubjects, so well worth checking out.

Bob Iger Talks Disney's Streaming Service, 'Roseanne,' James Gunn and a Coming 'Star Wars' "?Slo?wdown" [THR]

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All your base are belong to us

Basically, all our worst fears about Disney buying out 20th Century Fox are going to come true according to a new WSJ report, which goes into detail about the awkward nature of the current buyout and its possible future. It's awkward because even though both sides know the merger is coming they can't act like the merger is coming beca??use that's illegal. So despite the fact that the thousands of employees who work for Fox know that downsizing is more than likely coming, the studio heads have to act like there's no buyout whatsoever. 

But in these jaded times of corporate oligopolies who cares about thousands of people losing their job. What about the entertainment!? Well, that's going to be less exciting too if this article is to be believed. According to sources Disney plans to "scale back production of costly movies that don’t fit its family-friendly, franchise-focused formula." That sounds a lot like things like Deadpool and Logan to me. Disney is said to be interested?? in keeping Fox Searchlight and Fox 2000 open as they generate a ton of Osc??ar bait for minimum cost and could make fodder for Hulu (which they will also now own), but aside from that it's all up in the air.

The article also reports that Disney will be taking over production on both the X-Men and Avatar films, bringing them in-house instead of having Fox produce them. We're guessing other successful franchises will do the same eventually, including Alien and Planet of the Apes. A source says Disney&??nbsp;plans to release all of Fox's m??ovies that are complete and in production at the time of the merger, but it isn't clear what they'll do with movies that are in development at the studio.

This uncertainty is making it hard for Fox to not only keep its employees but function as a studio at all. Filmmakers are including the studio in talks out of some sort of respect for the legendary company but almost none of them have it as their first choice as a place to ?make movies thanks to its uncertain future. 

This could, of course, all be some fear mongering. Disney also very much likes to make money, and those R-rated movies like Deadpool have made a ton of money. Maybe the scaling back won't include those. I for one am a fan of most of the Marvel films, and I'd even argue that they do take chances with their movies here and there, but they're nowhere near as big as, say, a horror-based superhero film. It'll be a shame if we start missing out on challenging takes because of this buyout, but at the mom??ent that looks like what may happen.

It’s Gettin??g Awkward at Fox’s Movie Studio as Disney Deal Looms [WSJ]

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Multiple Francos for the cost of one!

In a surprise announcement, Fox has revealed that they are developing a new X-Men spin-off film starring James Franco with a script written by Wonder Woman's Allan Heinberg. Multiple Man will feature the X-Men associa?te of the same name whose mutant power, as you can tell, involves creating clones of himself.

This won't be the character's film debut, however, as he was portrayed by Eric Dane (Grey's Anatomy) in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. Franco, as well, is no stranger to the genre as he played Peter Parker's best-friend-turned-adversary, Harry Osborn, in the original Spider-Man trilogy.

Multiple Man is just the latest film in the ever-expanding X-Men film universe following The New Mutants, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Gambit, Deadpool 2, and the recently announced Logan spin-off. As a fan of both the character and Franco, Multiple Man has shot to the top of my list of most anticipated X-Men films. Here's hoping Heinberg's script is informed by Peter David's X-Factor run!

James Franco,?? Simon Kinberg, &??lsquo;Wonder Woman’ Scribe Allan Heinberg Team On Fox’s Marvel Mutant ‘Multiple Man’ [Deadline]

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X-Men, prepare for an all out attack!

X-Men has been one of Marvel's biggest properties for a long time, and not just in comic books. Before the days of the MCU, Marvel actually seemed to enjoy putting X-Men on a pedestal. The mutant team had a character almost everyone could relate to and the plight of being ostracized by the masses? is pretty timeless.

I'm here today to talk about the mutant superheroes in video games, but not their past or even necessarily their future, just one specific, hypothetical game that seems like it could be damn near perfect. What if the X-Men starred in a Persona style RPG?

It may not seem like a perfect match at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it fit like a blue and yellow glove. I didn't read a whole lot of comics until I was in high school (cool dude here) so up until then most of my knowledge on the team came from the animated series. It was the show's play up of that "high school" drama, and later X-Men Evolution's doubling down on that idea that makes Persona's formula lend itself to the team so well.

For those unfamiliar with Persona, it's a long-running Japanese role-playing game with a premise that sets it apart from the typical Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest for??mula. Your party is composed of high school students who attend class and form relationships ??during the day and explore dungeons in a fantastical world by night.

Imagine having a party of classic mutants in their first year at Xavier's Institute. Attend class during the day, from a basic English and Science lessons, to Mutant history and Danger Roo?m drills, then fly off in the Black Bird on covert missions as the X-Men by night. Going to class could help you master new abilities for combat and forging personal relationships with teammates could help build cooperation and maybe even some combo moves. Colossus throwing Wolverine into a Sentinel is pretty badass.

Persona's time management aspect has always made it one of my favorite parts of the game, and it's easily applied to the X-Men universe as well. Do I want to train in the Danger Room t??onight, or study for my science test? Having a ticking clock on stopping The Brotherhood but knowing that finals are coming up could be a real factor for teenage superheroes, even if it is a little bit silly.

On the combat end, Persona's turn-based combat syst??em would lend itself just fine to a diverse team of young mutants. Finding the perfect team could become a labor of love, I know Cyclops and Nightcrawler are already in my party.

The most exciting part of the premises is how you can place it basically anywhere within the comic's timeline. You could have the first class of Xavier's students like Iceman ??and Beast, or even do an entirely original team. Multiple games could span different years for the class, seeing new mutants come and go? or even explore spin-off teams such as the New Mutants.

I tried to do some digging, but couldn't find out exactly who the X-Men video game license rests with at the moment. My dream game for everybody's favorite mutants seems pretty unlikely, but then again Square Enix is putting out an Avengers game. This is just one idea for a franchise with almost limitless potential, Wes did a pretty great piece a while back bouncing around similar game ideas, but I couldn't let this idea of mine go unmentioned. Maybe one day we will see X-Men back in the spotlight, though with Marvel's Cinematic Universe making money hand over fist without them they'll probably be playing second ?fiddle for some time. 

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