A movie that’s both one of the weakest on Ryan Reynolds’ resumé and one that marked a major turning point in his career is debuting on Disney Plus next month. What is the curious film in question, you ask? It’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the 2009 Fox superhero flick that featured the Canadian star making his very first appearance as Wade Wilson/Deadpool.
Yes, following on from X-Men: The Last Stand dropping on the Mouse House’s streaming service in May, another Marvel Legacy film – as Disney now wants us to label old non-MCU movies – is coming in June, as Wolverine makes its way to the platform on the 4th. If you haven’t seen it in a while and are wondering if it’s as bad as you remember it – spoilers: it is – then make sure to check it out.
From director Gavin Hood, Origins was the first time Hugh Jackman got to star in his own spinoff as Logan, with the film revealing the full story of the immortal mutant’s beginnings that were only hinted at in earlier entries in the saga. Liev Schreiber makes his sole appearance in the franchise as Wolvie’s half-brother Sabretooth, with the cast also including the likes of Danny Huston, Lynn Collins, Will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Taylor Kitsch.
Fans immediately loved Reynolds as Wade, with his presence being one of the few widely-praised elements of the production. On the other hand, how the final act treats Deadpool is simply sacrilegious. We’re lucky he managed to relaunch the antihero in a much more faithful way many years later, starting with 2016’s Deadpool. 2018’s Deadpool 2 then featured a tongue-in-cheek flashback to Origins, with a time-travelling DP killing his alternate self.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine becomes available on Disney Plus in the United States from Friday, June 4th.
