Mutants. It is the key to our evolution. As comics and heroes evolve, so do their live-action counterparts that completely dominate our media, and these two powerful mutant superheroes… or uh… antiheroes definitely contribute to that status quo. And over here at JoBlo, two of our eternally favorite comic book characters come from the X-Men universe, especially thanks to their big-screen adaptations. Of course, we’re referring to the badass WOLVERINE aka Logan and the Merc with the Mouth, Slade Wilson… I mean, Wade Wilson, better known as DEADPOOL.
All the way back in 2000, Wolverine made superhero movie history with a stellar debut portrayed by then-unknown Hugh Jackman in 20th Century Fox’s X-MEN. Yes, Fox… before it became 20th Century Studios… that still feels weird to say. Over the next two decades, Fox’s X-Men universe would go on to hold its own against the MCU with some hits… and some misses. These characters each have appearances that could fall under both categories. It’s undeniable that Jackman had a huge hand in elevating superhero films as the dominant genre at the multiplex, but now that he’s retired the claws, much of the X-Men universe has shifted its focus to Deadpool. That character made his silver-screen debut in 2009’s X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. While the movie was maligned by fans and critics alike, Deadpool’s performance received praise thanks to the one and only Ryan Reynolds, who owned the role. But the less said about that film, the better.
After years of false starts and development Hell, Deadpool finally received his own solo outing in 2016, which became the highest-grossing R-Rated comic book movie EVER… at the time. The industry took notice and it changed the world of superhero productions moving forward. With no signs of the superhero fever subsiding, we decided to pit these two powerful mutants against each other in a cage fight to determine which one is the ultimate weapon. So sharpen your claws and grab your chimichangas, you know what time it is… FACE OFF!
This episode of Face Off is written by Jay Saint G, narrated by Shawn Knippelberg, and edited by Stephen White. Watch previous episodes below and let us know in the comments which superhero you prefer – Wolverine or Deadpool!