As the most iconic X-Men character of all time,Wolverinehas created a new legacy on-screen ever since Hugh Jackman first took on the role and forever became an icon for comic book nerds everywhere. Jackman has been nothing short of scintillating as Logan. Between his many portrayals in theX-Menfilms, his standalone movies, and, of course,Deadpool & Wolverine, the character has been through it all in film — even death!
While most fans of the X-Men and Logan in particular pride themselves on lapping up every second of the character on-screen he’s featured in, not many know that he once actually had another early cameo that never made it into the film it was meant for. It came in Fox’s originalFantastic Fourfilm buthad to be left out of the final cut.
Fantastic Four
This all might sound strange given that, with the popularity of theX-Menfilms and Wolverine in particular, a scene that featured Logan should surely have madeFantastic Fourbetter, right? Well, this one was actually so bad that producers thankfully made the right call by leaving it out.
How Wolverine Ended up in Fantastic Four
By now, fans ofFantastic Fourcharacters are well-acquainted withReed Richards and Sue Storm’s early foibles in love. In the first film, while still navigating their new lives as Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and The Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), the pair become reacquainted during a night out together while working on a way to reverse the effects of the cosmic energy they were exposed to. The fact that they once dated left some obvious feelings still lingering between them.
Deadpool & Wolverine Concept Art Book Reveals Cut Wolverine-Deadpool Variant
A new concept art book will reveal the unused variants and costumes in Deadpool & Wolverine.
While Sue secretly wished for Reed to be more assertive, Reed’s personality had always been more submissive asa mild-mannered man of science.Unfortunately, that part also meant he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t even fight for the woman he loved because he chose to simply accept that he lost her to a better man. In the deleted scene, thinking that graciously stepping aside was actually a good thing, Reed says, “Well, I guess that’s what I thought you always wanted. A stronger man.”
However, as he says this, that’s where the scene gets interesting. Reed’s power is that he can stretch and manipulate his skin and body parts to contort them into all kinds of shapes and lengths that he might need at any given moment. However, in this case, it turns out that the"stronger man"he had in mind was Wolverine. To illustrate this, Reed momentarily uses his powers to contort his facial features and hair into a goofy looking Logan as he smirks at Sue in that way.
Why It’s a Good Thing the Scene Was Cut
The idea was great. It certainly fits to use a character like Wolverine as an indication of a “stronger man” sinceLogan is well-knownfor his brawn, brutish nature, and overt masculinity. On the other hand, beyond this, it would have been a stellar addition to tie the world of theX-Meninto theFantastic Fouruniverse. It should be kept in mind that this was three years prior to the birth of the MCU, so fans would have been overjoyed if it seemed like Fox may have been toying with the idea so early on.
However, in the end, despite these strong points, the execution of the scene was appalling. Anyone who’s seen it will attest to the fact that it was done terribly. For one,the CGI was ridiculous. Far from looking like Reed had changed his face into Wolverine, it looked more like he had momentarily turned himself into a badly rendered cartoon character.
Everything about it looked wrong, from Reed’s silly smile to how fake and obviously CGI it looked. Thankfully, not many X-Men fans ever knew about it. If they did, it’s doubtful that any of them would have wanted the scene in the final cut.
In the End, It Was a Near Miss
While it might have been cool to explore the idea of joining the X-Men and Fantastic Four worlds back then, given that Fox didn’t seem to have any of the same flair in the MCU, it was for the best that it never happened.Both teams represent some of the most beloved Marvel characters evercreated, so it would have been a travesty to see them butchered like that.
Fantastic Four Set Image and Video Reveals Unexpected Appearance of MCU’s The Thing
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm, previously shared how The Thing would be realised on screen. But has this now changed?
In the end, the MCU did, of course, take its course and comic book fans (especially Marvel ones) have been rejoicing ever since. The MCU has been nothing short of spectacular, not just in sheer scale but for how well it stuck to well-known comic tropes and did justice to so many beloved Marvel heroes. We have never gotten to see an X-Men and Fantastic Fourcinematic crossoverin 2005. However, it was hopefully well worth the long wait for what’s up ahead.
The Future of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men in the MCU
Ask any Marvel fan what they’re most excited about in terms ofupcoming MCU projectsand the answer will likely be the same for most. As both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men are slated to finally make their full introductions to the MCU, many lifelong fans of both can’t wait to see how it turns out, with plenty to look forward to, from recasting favorite characters like Wolverine (the Fantastic Four have already been recast) to seeing which villains and storylines will be used.
As Joe Baire, writing forCinema Debate,explains, so many fans are looking forward to the X-Men in the MCU because they have always been unique comic book characters, ones that have always meant so much more than just being archetypal heroes:
“If the X-Men films were good at incorporating and touching on themes of social awareness, then the comic books dial that up to a million. The X-Men were literally created for the purpose of being socially relevant. Just look at the year they were introduced, 1963. Thousands of African Americans marched the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, for the Civil Rights Movement. That same year, the X-Men were created and were confirmed to be influenced by those social movements.”
The X-Men aren’t just heroes, they are the select few who have to stand up for their kind, especially those who aren’t as lucky as they are. However they are used in the MCU, it’s likely that some thrilling times and far more complex plots lay ahead.
