The frankly dreadful Deadpool from X-Men Origins: Wolverine explained

Deadpool has come a long way. He’s now got his own solo trilogy and has been given an MCU membership card, but let’s not forget that awful appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The hype dial has been switched all the way to 11 as we get ready to watch Deadpool & Wolverine. Between the abundance of cameos, and the much-anticipated team-up of the titular characters, it should be a riot.

It’s incredible to see the Merc with a Mouth become a global sensation in the way he has over the last eight years. Granted, the X-Men movie timeline has been a rocky road for many, but Deadpool survived it in typical fashion.

Still, as we get excited for the new movie, we couldn’t help reminiscing about the abomination that is Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

What is X-Men Origins: Wolverine about?

The clue is in the title, really, but X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of how the famous mutant came to be. It centers on the Weapon X program and the experiments that made Wolverine who he is.

20th Century Fox

Although it came out in 2009, three years after the original X-Men trilogy ended, this prequel movie takes us back in time to Logan’s childhood as James Howlett.

We also see his fateful meeting with Major William Stryker and Team X, as well as Wolverine’s origins and powers as his adamantium skeleton is formed.

Deadpool’s role

We see plenty of Wade Wilson before he is transformed into Weapon XI, and eventually, the X-Men Origins Deadpool of our nightmares is born.

It’s a very different version of Deadpool to anything we know. Wade may have the cheeky humor and confidence Reynolds brings to the role now, but he has a range of different powers.

Essentially, this version of Wade is able to take powers from other mutants. These include the ability to shoot laser beams from his eyes, teleportation, and retractable katana blades. He’s given the name Deadpool by Stryker, as his abilities have been pooled together to create a killer.

He looks totally different, too. The classic red Deadpool suit is missing, and he has his mouth sewn shut. Needless to say, this is not the same Deadpool we see in the new movie trilogy.

By the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Deadpool is beheaded. But, once the dust settles, his body finds his head, and shushes it. This is the first indication that Wade Wilson is now able to heal from just about any wound.

Why is it so bad?

How long do you have? The film is a mess narratively, filled with cliches and sub-par performances, although Hugh Jackman is relatively innocent on that front. Meanwhile, as described above, the interpretation of Deadpool is so far away from the character, it just feels wrong.

It’s a prequel so intent on dissecting every detail of Wolverine that it forgets to tell a coherent story. It’s full of plot holes, changes to lore, and worst of all, it’s a little boring, meaning the action movie doesn’t really warrant its own creation.

As for Deadpool himself, let’s just say it’s a good job Fox gave him another go years later. Reynolds clearly understood the assignment, and there was something there worth revisiting. Thankfully, the 2016 movie honors the iconography of the character far better.

Still, the much-maligned superhero movie did give us a Deadpool vs Wolverine standoff. At the time this was a dream come true for many fans. Still, we expect big improvements in the new Marvel movie.

X-Men Origins Deadpool returns

In spite of the critics, the X-Men Origins Deadpool has popped up again since, most notably in Deadpool 2. He doesn’t last long, though, as he’s shot in the head by our current version of Deadpool when he goes back in time.

There is also a little figure of the X-Men Origins Deadpool in the second Deadpool movie. It’s a cute little nod to the less favorable part of the character’s history.

Funnily enough, in the first Deadpool movie, the villain Ajax also threatens to sew Wade Wilson’s mouth shut. Naturally, if he had, the comedy wouldn’t have flowed quite as freely in that one.

Here’s hoping we get more references to this sorry version of the character in Deadpool 3. Until then, here’s what we know about Lady Deadpool, the Deadpool & Wolverine post-credit scene, and the Deadpool Corps. Or, simply look ahead to Marvel’s Phase 6.