One question that often comes up whenever Wolverine is involved concerns the character’s age. How old is Wolverine really? Why does that matter? Now that Deadpool & Wolverine has hit theaters, we’re discussing this once again.
Although Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine concluded with 2017’s Logan, the third Deadpool film introduces a new version of the character. This new version has a similar history but a different ending compared to the one seen in Logan or X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Despite these variations, Wolverine’s on-screen origins remain the same, which helps us figure out how old this Marvel icon actually is.
Wolverine Was Born in the 19th Century
Wolverine is usually shown as being at least over 100 years old. In his early appearances during the 1970s, Logan’s past was only hinted at. Marvel Comics readers eventually learned that the character remembers very little of his history.
Although fans were teased for years, it was finally revealed that Logan was born James Howlett to plantation owners in 19th-century Canada. The Origin series, written by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins, details young James’ early years as he discovers his mutant powers, which occurred between 1897 and 1907.
In the 21st century, this means Wolverine has been around for well over 100 years. X-Men: Prelude to Schism #4 notes that Logan was born in 1982, but this seems to contradict the birth year of his older brother in 1885 as explained in Origin.
The character’s origins differ depending on the version you reference. Just as there are multiple Wolverine variants in Deadpool & Wolverine, there are differences between the comic book portrayal and the live-action films featuring Hugh Jackman.
According to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Logan discovers his powers as a young boy in 1845, about 50 years before what is shown in the Origin comic series. The movie also changes Wolverine’s rivalry with Sabretooth, portraying them as brothers rather than just enemies.
The Hugh Jackman Wolverine Is a Bit Older Than the Marvel Comics Version
Although we don’t get much additional backstory for the Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems this version of the character shares a similar upbringing and early history with the X-Men movie versions. Even when Days of Future Past altered the X-Men movie timeline, it only changed Logan’s story in the 1970s.
Most of the events from X-Men Origins: Wolverine—including Logan’s birth, first mutation, and war experience—remain unchanged. Hugh Jackman also portrays the character in a way that is consistent with his previous roles.
Wolverine’s exact age remains a bit of a mystery, as we still don’t know the exact year of his birth in either the comics or the films.
Generally, Wolverine is well over 100 years old in the comics, but not much more than that. In the film, Logan is closer to 200 years old. If Hugh Jackman continues to play Wolverine until he is 90, we might even see a 200-year-old Wolverine in future movies.
