Deadpool & Wolverine's lack of X-Men is a missed opportunity – but maybe for good reason
It's disappointing not to see the old gang – but there could be a good reason for it. *SPOILERS FOR DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE*
Deadpool & Wolverine brings Hugh Jackman back as tortured hero Logan after a seven-year absence, but fans will be wondering whether they can expect to see any other characters from Fox's classic X-Men films.
Jackman was a complete unknown when he first took on the role, but his portrayal of the character proved so popular that it has endured for almost a quarter of a century – spanning five X-Men films and a trilogy of Wolverine solo adventures.
However, he isn't the only celebrated figure from Fox's early superhero efforts, and comic book fans have, for many years, criticised the way Logan frequently draws attention away from other beloved characters in the films.
Alas, a case of Wolverine fever has struck once again, with Jackman's clawed antihero front and centre in Deadpool & Wolverine; a film strangely devoid of any other X-Men stars. So, what happened?
Do the X-Men appear in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Nope! To the surprise of some fans, Hugh Jackman is the only major star from Fox's legacy X-Men franchise to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine.
We do see secondary villains Lady Deathstrike (X-Men 2) and Azazel (X-Men: First Class), but they are used as little more than set dressing and cannon fodder during a battle in the void.
Channing Tatum makes a surprise appearance as Gambit, but this is referencing a project that never got off the ground and a character who isn't properly established in live-action (no, X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn't count).
Aaron Stanford's Pyro and Dafne Keen's X-23 have a bit more to get stuck into, but in terms of actual, card-carrying members of the X-Men team, not one of them is here – and that's a big surprise.
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Is the X-Men's absence a missed opportunity?
The variant of Wolverine that Deadpool teams up with is known to have let his universe down – having stood aside while his X-Men team were killed – which easily explains their absence from that reality.
But I can't have been the only one expecting X-Men from the Fox movies to pop up somewhere across the multiverse, with Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, James Marsden's Cyclops and Halle Berry's Storm among the rumoured names.
Not one of them was considered perfectly cast or portrayed during their original tenure, but undoubtedly fans would have enjoyed seeing them get another try after so many years away.
Case in point: my screening cheered for Jennifer Garner's Elektra cameo, and she's only known for two of the worst superhero films ever made.
Indeed, it seems so strange that a movie billed as a celebration of the two-decade Marvel/Fox partnership would largely overlook the most successful titles to come out of that agreement.
The X-Men films (originals, prequels and spin-offs) completely dwarf all of Fox's other comic book efforts, grossing a combined $6 billion, compared to Fantastic Four's $803 million and Daredevil/Elektra's $236 million.
Of course, money isn't everything, but it is a metric by which we can assess which of these franchises struck the strongest chord with audiences and had the biggest cultural impact. It isn't even close!
Jackman's Wolverine was a key pillar for the success of the X-Men films, but it wasn't the only one.
In addition to the aforementioned Janssen, Marsden and Berry, there were memorable turns from Anna Paquin as Rogue, Shawn Ashmore as Ice Man, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique.
Arguably, the best performances of all – across both the originals and the prequels – were Patrick Stewart/James McAvoy as Professor X, and Ian McKellen/Michael Fassbender as Magneto.
That not one of the above actors had a chance to shine in Deadpool & Wolverine is such a glaringly missed opportunity that it almost has to be intentional.
Can the X-Men's absence in Deadpool & Wolverine be explained by The Marvels?
We all felt seen when Deadpool welcomed Wolverine to the MCU, before clarifying that he was joining at a "low point".
Unfortunately, The Marvels was a particularly bum note, receiving a lukewarm reaction from critics and utterly bombing at the box office, wasting the considerable talent of the cast involved.
But the largely ignored film has a post-credits scene which might explain why the X-Men don't feature at all in Deadpool & Wolverine.
After vanquishing a forgettable foe, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) set about closing a tear in reality.
In doing so, Monica passes through to the other side and wakes up in an alternate universe, where she is greeted by none other than Kelsey Grammer's Beast (returning from X-Men: The Last Stand and Days of Future Past).
No one really knows what exactly this is setting up, but the most likely option is the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars.
If it's anything like the comic book of the same name, this crossover spectacular will bring together heroes from across all known universes in a surreal environment known as Battleworld.
Could it be that the original (and/or prequel) X-Men cast will reunite in that film, with Monica in tow? We'll just have to wait and see, but this fan hopes to see the old gang one last time before Kevin Feige wipes the slate clean and starts over.
Deadpool & Wolverine is out now in cinemas. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
