The X-Men are back in the media with a tour de force.
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) received their first look at the new Jean Grey this year via Sadie Sink’s performance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) while many of the other remaining X-Men were announced at this year’s D23 Conference in Anaheim, California.
If that wasn’t enough to get superhero fans excited, Disney+’s season two of X-Men ‘97 (2024- ) premiered to a wave of praise. Sony is gearing up to release the highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine this September, and for perhaps the last time, we will once again see Ian McKellen grace the big screen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto opposite Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier/Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), coming to theaters December 18, 2026.
The best part is, it looks like we’re just getting started on the rebirth of the X-Men as they aim to reclaim themselves as one of the major faces of superheroes, something we haven’t quite seen since the early 2000s.
While all of these new pieces of media and announcements have centered around the X-Men as a team, who could ever forget Hugh Jackman as the one and only Wolverine, also known as James Howlett, Logan, Weapon X, etc. It’s a role he’s played for over 20 years, most recently in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) alongside Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool.
Though there is much fan speculation over the fate of Jackman’s Wolverine and Reynolds ’ Deadpool in the highly anticipated new Avengers film, the most recent Deadpool film actually wasn’t the first time we’ve seen the two characters clash on the silver screen, for better or worse.
In my other writings, I’ve talked about my childhood adoration for the Fox Marvel films, particularly Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and the X-Men trilogy. As part of that, of course, I also adored the Wolverine solo films, especially X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
Most fans, however, do not share my love for the film. It has a 37% critic rating and a 58% fan rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Yikes. But with all of the renewed excitement for the franchise, I decided to give it a rewatch to see if ten-year-old me had it right on this one or not.
Creative liberties
This film is intended to serve as the origin story for the version of Logan we see in the original trilogy as a prequel film. Why does Wolverine have beef with Sabretooth? How exactly did Logan lose his memories? Why does he go by “the Wolverine?” This film was supposed to give us insight into those questions. And it did. But it also raised a lot of questions with fans as well.
Let’s start with a quick overview of the plot: James Howlett, aka Logan, begins as a sickly child whose mutation comes to the surface after a traumatic altercation between his believed-to-be father and his biological father, revealing that Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, played by Liev Schreiber, is his biological brother, also a mutant. That day, the two boys make a promise to always look out for one another and to protect each other, knowing the world will not accept them or their differences as mutants.
Both characters, thanks to their mutant healing factors, are barely touched by time. We watch as the two enlist in war after war, always by each other’s sides. But the constant fighting and aggression consume Victor, quickly turning into bloodlust, which the two are punished for. Intervening, we meet William Stryker, a US military general played by Danny Huston, who is forming a special task force, also comprised of Reynolds’ Wilson, Dominic Monaghan as the electricity-controlling Bradley, Kevin Durand as Fred Dukes/The Blob, Daniel Henney as Agent Zero, and even Will.i.am as the teleporting John Wraith.
Stryker enlists this task force to secure one thing by any means: adamantium. After the situation escalates, Logan decides to walk away and leave that life behind. After settling down in the Canadian mountains with Kayla Silverfox, played by Lynn Collins, Stryker re-enlists Wolverine’s help to discover the secrets behind why the original members of this task force are winding up dead. Without giving away any more spoilers, so begins our story.
Whether you want to blame the intellectual property (IP) changing hands as the reason why, a large part of why this film was poorly received was due to it being riddled with continuity errors not only for the original trilogy, but it also changed entire parts of the characters themselves.
To an extent, creative liberties and changing background stories are to be expected with the end goal of offering dedicated fans a fresh take on their favorite characters, or better yet, improving on the storylines. Yet, some of the newly introduced aspects of the film, like Wolverine and Sabretooth being blood relatives, aren’t from the comics, nor are they from the first films, so while it added dramatic effect, it kind of throws our prior plotlines off course. Perhaps the most hated aspect of the film: how the directors handled Deadpool. Seeing how well the character has been handled since, it’s a very valid criticism.
Strong cast, so-so script
For me, I actually think the cast themselves nail their roles. Jackman, of course, is as tied to Wolverine as Robert Downey Jr. is to Tony Stark/Iron Man. No surprise there.
I also really love Schreiber’s rendition of Victor Creed. Though the character doesn’t come off as quite so much of a dunce as we see in other versions, the violence, anger, and eventually, hatred he holds for Wolverine find their place in this film. Though the two do still seem to hold a level of respect for one another at the film’s conclusion, I can certainly see the seeds of jealousy and resentment planted that justify the two characters constantly being at odds in the future.
The tone of the film also shifts well enough between outright action and storytelling. Of course, it incorporates the classic quips Marvel has been known for without the jokes or jabs feeling forced for the sake of reputation. Wolverine’s sarcasm is nailed pretty well in the film, in my view.
Unfortunately for this film and these actors, the script leans heavily on clichés. I’ll be the first to admit, I love a good cliché, but it’s overdone to death in this movie. Every opportunity to put in an overdone line, they took it, which is a shame and feels like a misuse of the acting talent they brought together for this one.
The worst and most forced part of the film, however, isn’t the tacky lines. Wolverine screams in this film to the extent that it can only be comical. We get it; he’s animalistic, he’s angry, he’s out for revenge. But did we need that much screaming? Probably not.
Wall-to-wall action
One thing I will say about this movie in its favor is that it is as much a classic action movie as it is a superhero movie. It really is just fun if that’s your cup of tea.
Again, are some of the action seems overdramatic and corny? Of course, but it adds a layer of entertainment to the film that we simply don’t see anymore in current superhero movies. Take, for instance, Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). I enjoyed the movie and thought it was a good rendition of the characters. Yet, we spend so much time gearing up for a fight, only for it to be a fraction of the film. We barely see these heroes in action.
In X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), fans can expect plenty of fighting, car chases, and explosions to keep things interesting. Not to mention, I would argue that this version of Wolverine looks the best compared to any of his other appearances. Though the spiked hair is iconic, it’s hard to say it doesn’t look silly.
Despite my love for it, I cannot, in good conscience, tell you that X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) is a good movie in the year 2026. However, if you appreciate superhero movies at all, it’s a fun one. I’d go so far as to argue as well that it has one of the best opening sequences we’ve ever seen in a superhero film to date, though a solid opening does not make a good movie, unfortunately.
Though it isn’t a great film, it still remains one of my favorites in the franchise. Criticism aside, I was still entertained and enjoyed my viewing, even though I’d already seen it a million times. To me, that’s what makes a movie worth watching.
Who would you like to see don the mantle of Wolverine next in Marvel’s upcoming reboot?
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