As the excitement around Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman-starrer Deadpool & Wolverine reaches a crescendo, we return to five films to revisit the backstories of the two MCU superheroes. The five films highlight the origins and evolution of the two characters, setting the stage for their upcoming adventure that is set to unleash at theatres on July 26.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine features the first on-screen meeting between Wolverine and Deadpool. It explores Wolverine’s early life, including his childhood, his bond with his brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), and the experiments that gave him his adamantium skeleton. Ryan Reynolds played Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool) in this film for the first time. He was introduced as a member of a team of mutants engaged in global tactical operations. By the movie’s final act, he reappears as Deadpool, but this version had his mouth sewn shut.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

This film is crucial for understanding Wolverine’s background, and the complex timelines and relationships within the X-Men series. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine plays a central role in this time-travel storyline, where he is sent back to the 1970s to prevent a future where mutants are hunted to extinction. The film merges the original X-Men trilogy cast with the younger versions from X-Men: First Class, offering a rich, layered narrative that explores themes of redemption and change.

Deadpool (2016)

Ryan Reynolds returns as a different version of Deadpool, the wise-cracking Merc with a Mouth in this movie. Breaking away from the traditional superhero mould, Deadpool weaves humour and action into a fourth wall-break storytelling format. The film’s success was a game-changer, proving that R-rated superhero movies could be critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Key moments include Deadpool’s origin story, his tumultuous romance with Vanessa, and his quest for revenge against Ajax.

Logan (2017)

Regarded as one of the best X-Men films ever, Logan is a gritty and emotional farewell to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Set in a dystopian future, the film presents an ageing and weary Wolverine struggling to care for an ailing Professor X while protecting a young mutant, Laura (Dafne Keen), also known as X-23. Logan’s tone is sombre and reflective, delving into the title character’s vulnerabilities and past traumas. It’s a film that offers significant emotional stakes and a fitting conclusion to Wolverine’s story (or so we thought until the announcement of Deadpool 3).

Deadpool 2 (2018)

In this sequel, the Deadpool world expands considerably. We see the introduction of key characters like Cable, a time-travelling soldier played by Josh Brolin, and Domino, a mutant with luck-based powers, portrayed by Zazie Beetz. The film balances heart and humour as Deadpool forms the X-Force, a makeshift team of superheroes, to protect young mutant Russell. Deadpool 2 is packed with meta-humour, action sequences and surprising emotional depth as Deadpool grapples with loss and family.