Audiences were treated to something extra special recently in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law when a shot showed a news report about a mysterious man with metal claws getting into a brawl at a bar. Instantly, people thought of Wolverine, giving the first of hopefully many little teases about the arrival of him and his fellow X-Men into the MCU.
In fact, when rumors abounded about cameos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was brought up a lot. The wait going forward might be slow, but when it does happen, there is so much the MCU can do with the popular hero, whether a possible TV show or a standalone movie. Until that happens, movies like Logan and the X-Men trilogy will remain his very best, according to the fans on IMDb.
Marvel Anime: Wolverine (2011) - 6.1
Stream On Netflix
Animation is often a place where Marvel has excelled, especially with Wolverine involved – just look at X-Men: The Animated Series and its popularity for evidence. In addition to that, Wolverine was the specific focus of a season as part of the Marvel Anime series. The style just works so well for these types of characters with special powers and a penchant for bloody violence.
Some might be surprised to recognize the voice of Wolverine – Milo Ventimiglia before his This is Us fame. The season spanned over twelve episodes and followed Wolverine’s escapade in Japan in saving his love, Mariko. He also featured in the X-Men anime season, while Blade and Iron Man had their own seasons, too.
Wolverine Versus Sabretooth (2014) - 6.3
Streaming Information Not Available
Wolverine has been the subject of many motion comics, which beautifully translate the comics directly to an episodic TV format. Of course, such projects would also entail his greatest enemy, Sabretooth. Wolverine Versus Sabretooth was released in 2014 and consisted of six episodes. It did get a sequel with Wolverine Versus Sabretooth: Reborn a year later, but it didn’t do as well on IMDb.
The two have fought numerous times in film and TV, yet this might still be one of the better adaptations of their dynamics and capabilities since it’s the most direct. The MCU could certainly take elements from Wolverine versus Sabretooth and its successor for when the rivals finally make their way there.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - 6.5
Stream On Hulu
There are a lot of misconceptions about Wolverine and his powers thanks to his appearance in Fox’s X-Men franchise. They repeatedly told and retold his origins in confusing and conflicting ways, but none more so than X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Though Jackman was beloved and a perfect fit for the role, his performance was bogged down by the strange script and inconsistencies.
This film is rightfully renowned and reviled for its treatment of Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool. It’s a miracle Ryan Reynolds was still interested in playing the character after they made him into a jumbled monstrosity. Thankfully, it was all rectified when Deadpool went back in time and shot him at the end of Deadpool 2.
Wolverine Weapon X: Tomorrow Dies Today (2014) - 6.6
Streaming Information Not Available
Another Wolverine motion comic is Wolverine Weapon X: Tomorrow Dies Today, in which he must fight back against an army of murderous robots, which began executing superheroes. Deathlok serves as the primary antagonist, and heroes such as the Thing, Iron Fist, Captain America, and Spider-Woman also feature.
This is probably not a storyline that will come to the MCU as they’d likely prefer to go down the Sentinel route rather than bring in Deathlok, who already featured throughout Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. As such, this is probably the only opportunity for audiences to witness this story cross onto their screens, unless it’s adapted for X-Men ’97.
Wolverine: Origin (2013) - 6.7
Streaming Information Not Available
Not to be confused with X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Wolverine: Origin is yet another motion comics series, though the former did take inspiration from the same source material. The comics run was also entitled Origin: The True Story of Wolverine and gave the definitive look at his upbringing as James Howlett in 19th-century Canada, after years of being surrounded in mystery.
His claws manifest in his teens after horrifically witnessing his father’s murder, immediately avenging him while also traumatizing himself. Certainly, this arc, both from the comics and in animation, could find their way into the MCU, and as such, this motion comic would be a great way to learn more about Wolverine’s mysterious past.
The Wolverine (2013) - 6.7
Stream On HBO Max
Fox didn’t up the chance to keep making Wolverine films even after the largely negative reviews they received from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Their next endeavor was The Wolverine, which was considerably better received thanks to its more exciting plot, action, and supporting cast. Although as it followed his adventures in Japan, pitting him against his classic enemy Silver Samurai, it does have a “white-savior” sort of complex.
Regardless, The Wolverine was quite entertaining and changed some perspectives on the course of the X-Men franchise. This was Jackman’s sixth foray as the character, and while it importantly showcased him at his weariest at that point, he proved with each project he perfected the role like the aging of fine wine.
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk (2013) - 6.8
Streaming Information Not Available
While Wolverine is rightfully connected with the X-Men and his enemy Sabretooth, he has also been part of the Avengers and thus has a storied history with the Hulk. This is a duo fans are incredibly excited to see in the MCU, especially since Wolverine first debuted in The Incredible Hulk #181. Their relationship and battles have been told numerous times, including in the motion comic, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk.
In it, Wolverine is contracted by Nick Fury to assassinate the Hulk, but it’s not so simple to do so. This story is probably best remembered for its start – Wolverine had his body ripped in half by the Hulk, although he survived thanks to his advanced healing. This is another arc fans are unlikely to see translated elsewhere unless Hulk reverts to his raging state.
Hulk vs. Wolverine (2009) - 6.9
Not Streaming At This Time
Another project showcasing Wolverine and Hulk is the aptly titled Hulk vs. Wolverine. It was released in 2009 in conjunction with Hulk vs. Thor, both showcasing the Hulk going up against powerful allies. The premise is incredibly similar to Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, though with intact bodies and more classic elements from Wolverine’s stories like Weapon X and Deadpool.
Overall, Hulk Vs, encompassing both short films, is one of Marvel’s highest-rated animated movies. Both are quite exciting and entertaining, and while being geared primarily to younger audiences, they don’t shy away from some of the darker sides of these characters fighting.
Wolverine and the X-Men (2009) - 8.0
Stream On Disney+
There’s a pretty significant jump in ratings for second place with Wolverine and the X-Men. It is not only the character’s best TV show, but also respectable ranked among Marvel’s animated shows entirely. The show ran only for a single season, but it was quite succinct and showcased unique perspectives on Wolverine and his allies as they deal with the repercussions from Professor X's disappearance.
He is joined by Cyclops, Emma Frost, Storm, Beast, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Iceman, as they try to discover what tore the X-Men apart and what happened to the Professor. It is one of the few X-men properties capable of competing with X-Men: The Animated Series and is thus highly rated by fans.
Logan (2017) - 8.1
Stream On Disney+ & Fubo TV
The crown goes to Logan, not only for the best Wolverine movie but also for the X-Men franchise overall. It is the perfect way to conclude Hugh Jackman’s nearly twenty-year tenure playing Wolverine and could’ve set up a whole new series for Dafne Keen as Laura, aka X-23, if Fox hadn’t been acquired by Disney. Regardless, Logan is something the MCU is going to have serious trouble competing with if they’d ever choose to adapt the Old Man Logan storyline.
Logan is special among superhero films for its R-rating, something that rubbed a lot of feathers when it and Deadpool were added to Disney+. Fans and critics alike sung praises for the film with some signifying it as one of the best superhero films of all time with the likes of Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight.