Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool has had quite a journey to become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine. It all began back in 2011 with the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
For years, Reynolds had been eager to bring the character of Wade Wilson to life. In the Marvel Comics series Cable and Deadpool #2 (published in 2004 by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Brooks), Deadpool humorously describes himself as looking like “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei.”
Reynolds finally got his chance to play Deadpool about five years later, when he appeared alongside Hugh Jackman in the first solo Wolverine film. This movie, made by 20th Century Fox, delves into the backstory of James Howlett, also known as Logan. Although this version of Deadpool wasn’t quite the one fans know and love today, it was a crucial first step in Reynolds’ journey with the character.
Deadpool’s Origins in Wolverine Origins
In the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds makes his debut as Wade Wilson, a sharp-tongued swordsman who’s part of Team X, a covert mutant squad led by William Stryker, played by Danny Huston.
The team also includes John Wraith, portrayed by Will.i.am; Fred Dukes, also known as Blob, played by Kevin Durand; Agent Zero, played by Daniel Henney; and Bradley, played by Dominic Monaghan. This group is introduced before Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Liev Schreiber’s Victor Creed/Sabretooth join in.
In the film’s early scenes, Wade Wilson shows off his impressive mutant abilities, especially his skill with two katanas. He uses these swords with such speed that he can slice through bullets, a feat he performs during a mission in Lagos, Nigeria, where the team is looking for Adamantium, a rare metal.
Later, Wade helps Stryker in pressuring a local village to reveal the location of an Adamantium meteor fragment. However, when Stryker orders the village to be destroyed, Logan (Wolverine) disagrees and leaves the team.
Deadpool’s Return at the End of Wolverine Origins
In X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2011), Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson makes a dramatic return in the final scene, transformed into something entirely different.
After Wolverine’s entire body is coated with Adamantium, Stryker aims to create the ultimate mutant, Weapon XI. Wade Wilson is given the abilities of several mutants, including John Wraith’s teleportation and Cyclops’ optic blasts. He gains superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, and his healing factor is upgraded to match Wolverine’s. Additionally, Wade’s katanas are now built into his wrists like Wolverine’s claws. To top it all off, Stryker sews Wade’s mouth shut, creating what he believes is the “perfect soldier”—the “mutant killer,” nicknamed Deadpool.
Wade, now Weapon XI, is sent to eliminate Logan. This leads to a fierce battle between Logan and Weapon XI on top of a cooling tower, where Logan eventually decapitates Wade. In a post-credits scene, Wade’s severed hand reclaims his head and begins to reattach it, hinting that Deadpool might return.
Deadpool 2 (2018) takes a comedic jab at this portrayal. In a post-credits scene, Deadpool uses Cable’s time-travel device to fix past mistakes, including killing Weapon XI before he can attack Wolverine. This scene shows a version of Deadpool different from what was seen in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He doesn’t encounter Logan again until Deadpool & Wolverine, and he even teases Hugh Jackman about returning to the role after he had announced Logan (2017) as his last film.
In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, fans were disappointed that the Deadpool portrayed was far from his comic book counterpart. While he had katanas and a sharp wit, the character lacked many signature traits. For instance, the Deadpool in Origins didn’t have the super speed seen in his solo films or comics. His healing factor was only fully realized when transformed into Weapon XI. Also, Deadpool’s iconic red suit was missing, replaced by a simple black outfit, which only changed to red pants later in the film.
Reynolds has humorously critiqued his portrayal in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but these issues have been addressed in his later films, which have become fan favorites.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is available for streaming on Disney+, and Deadpool & Wolverine is now showing in theaters worldwide.
