A new X-Men '97 photo revealed the first official look at Wolverine in his next return for this year, which will deliver his 10th major costume under Marvel Studios so far. After Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, MCU fans began anticipating how Wolverine and the X-Men would come into the fold. That began in the Multiverse with Hugh Jackman's comeback in Deadpool & Wolverine, while X-Men '97 revived the story told in X-Men: The Animated Series, both of which exist separately from Earth-616 and the Sacred Timeline.
Marvel confirmed that X-Men '97 Season 2 will introduce the most savage Wolverine Variant yet. After Magneto stripped the adamantium from Logan's skeleton last season, Wolverine will be back and, now free from the poisoning caused by his metal infusion, is heading in a more feral direction than ever. The "Wasteland" Wolverine is, after just Deadpool & Wolverine and two seasons of X-Men '97, the 10th costume he has worn under Marvel Studios/Animation so far.
Funko declared that Wolverine's new era is here with his "Wasteland" Pop! Vinyl figure that also offered the best look yet at his savage X-Men '97 costume in all of its glory, complete with fanged teeth and a blue bandana.
Logan got the live-action MCU treatment just months after the release of X-Men '97 Season 1 in Deadpool & Wolverine, with Hugh Jackman reprising the role for the threequel. After spending years in Matrix-esque black leather and civilian clothing under Fox, this new Wolverine arrived proudly in the classic blue and yellow in line with his deceased X-Men buddies.
While Avengers: Doomsday rumors may have spoiled Wolverine's return, it remains unclear whether the 2024 suit will be back, especially after the damage it endured across the two-hour romp through the Multiverse.
That same suit took a beating through Deadpool and Wolverine's adventure through the Void, even losing the blue and yellow sleeves to expose Jackman's godly physique. Despite that, Jackman's first comic-accurate suit did receive one upgrade: he finally wore the mask after over two decades as Wolverine.
As Deadpool began his search for a new Anchor Being (a MacGuffin that will reportedly be abandoned for Doomsday), he crossed paths with multiple Wolverine Variants, each with their own unique look to honor the character's history.
One universe revealed exactly what a "comic-accurate short king" Wolverine would look like, shrinking Jackman down to 5'3" and shaving almost a foot off his height while donning jeans and a low-neck black t-shirt.
Marvel Studios paid tribute to the legendary Old Man Logan storyline from the comics and to Wolverine's elder-cowboy aesthetic as he blasted Deadpool to kingdom come. The dystopian Wolverine storyline heavily inspired Jackman's first Marvel farewell in 2017's Logan, even if it wasn't a direct adaptation.
A one-armed Wolverine actually set about attacking Deadpool on the streets of his fiery world in a unique red and black suit with a crazy hairstyle.
Another Wolverine Variant, Patch, can be recognized by his smart white tuxedo and black eye patch, which he wears while operating and gambling in the fictional criminal city of Madripoor.
The Cavillrine was just a short gag in Deadpool & Wolverine but was ultimately a key moment in the adamantium-infused mutant's history, as former Superman actor Henry Cavill became the second actor to play Logan in live-action. The motorcycle-riding hero only wore a tank top and jeans, not a full superhero suit.
Uncanny X-Men writer and artist John Byrne reinvented Wolverine in the '70s, evolving him into a samurai-like anti-hero with a fresh brown and tan suit, which Jackman wore to fight the Hulk in Deadpool 3.
Primarily in X-Men '97, Wolverine has worn a suit similar to X-Men: The Animated Series in the Disney+ revival with his unique blend of yellow, blue, and black.
X-Men '97 had not long reinvented Wolverine's suit before his feral redesign, taking the legendary brown and tan suit design that was first crafted by John Byrne to screens in Season 1, only for it to be shredded by Magneto.
X-Men '97 will return for Season 2 on Disney+ this summer, at which point fans will finally discover what comes next for Wolverine, which could include becoming a Horseman of Apocalypse. In the meantime, both X-Men '97 Season 1 and Deadpool & Wolverine are streaming on Disney+.
What Comes Next for Wolverine at Marvel Studios?
X-Men '97 is only just getting started, as Marvel Animation is already well underway on Season 3 and has begun talking about two more seasons after that, too, which would take the X-Men: The Animated Series revival up to 2029. As long as X-Men '97 continues on Disney+, it would be surprising if Wolverine ever stepped back from his major role, at least not anytime soon.
On the Hugh Jackman front, the Fox Wolverine is heavily rumored to play a minor role in this year's Avengers: Doomsday before stepping up to a bigger part in 2027 for Avengers: Secret Wars. That may not even be the end of the line for Jackman in the MCU, as Marvel Studios is reportedly developing another solo movie for his Wolverine, possibly indicating that he will maintain the mantle into Phase 7.
