The Evolution of Wolverine

Wolverine is practically immortal; Hugh Jackman only seems that way

Published on March 3, 2017 09:01AM EST

01 of 08

X-Men (2000)

Alone and shockingly baby-faced, Logan encounters a similarly wayward Rogue. Together, they’re pursued by Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants and eventually rescued by Xavier and the X-Men. Wolverine’s introduction to the team doesn’t mean just a new black jumpsuit for the clawed mutant. He also gains a family.

BOX OFFICE: $157 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: Present day

02 of 08

X2: X-Men United (2003)

Hugh Jackman as WolverineX-Men 2 (2003) — 20th Century Fox

A blast from the past appears in the form of Col. William Stryker, the man responsible for Logan’s adamantium skeleton and claws. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Cyclops–Jean Grey–Wolvie love triangle ends tragically.

BOX OFFICE: $215 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: Present day

03 of 08

X-Men: Last Stand (2006)

xmen3-236 — Kerry Hayes/ 20th Century Fox

Sporting a fiery new ’do, Logan’s flame is back from the dead, and evil. He eventually frees Jean from the Dark Phoenix’s talons with one stroke of his claws, putting his crush out of her misery.

BOX OFFICE: $234 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: Present day

04 of 08

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

With mid-credits scenes of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, this origin story follows James Howlett, the man who would become Wolverine, and his relationship with Sabretooth, complete with cameos from Deadpool and Gambit, and more than a few examples of questionable CG special effects.

BOX OFFICE: $180 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: Before X-Men

05 of 08

X-Men: First Class (2011)

"Go f--- yourselves." Sure, the cameo is three words long, but this may be the purest distillation of what we love about the surly character.

BOX OFFICE: $146 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: 1962

06 of 08

The Wolverine (2013)

Pulling inspiration from the popular 1982 comic-book miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, the Japan-set saga finds Logan still nursing his wounds after the death of Jean. The first James Mangold-directed installment helped rehab the image of the spin-offs after a rocky start, ultimately setting the stage for Logan.

BOX OFFICE: $133 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: Seven years after TLS

07 of 08

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Wolverine’s time with the X-Men, his adoptive family, comes full circle when his consciousness is sent through time and he’s tasked with bringing the team together, narrowly avoiding an apocalyptic future and forging a link between two generations of franchise stars.

BOX OFFICE: $234 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: 2023 and 1973

08 of 08

X Men Apocalypse (2016)

While fans never got to see Jackman don the classic blue and yellow suit, they did glimpse another of the character’s signature looks in a rehash of his escape from the weapons lab. Who knew the actor could pull off the mindcontrol helmet?

BOX OFFICE: $155 million

X-MEN TIMELINE: 1983