The Absence of Wolverine in Dark Phoenix: Exploring the Age Gap Concern
A detailed look at why Hugh Jackman's Wolverine was absent from the mainline X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix, and the significant impact of the age gap on the decision.
The Significance of Wolverine in X-Men Movies
Hugh Jackman, who has portrayed Marvel's character Wolverine throughout the X-Men movies, has only been absent from one mainline X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix (2019), and for good reason.
Jessica Chastain and Sophie Turner fighting in X-Men Dark Phoenix
While Jackman hasn't appeared in every X-Men spin-off film, including Deadpool 2 (2018) and The New Mutants (2020), the choice to not include Wolverine in Dark Phoenix is more notable, as the character was originally integral to the plot.
Sophie Turner's Jean Grey using power in X-Men Dark Phoenix
In fact, X-Men had become one of 20th Century Fox's most prominent brands alongside industry heavy-hitters Star Wars and Avatar prior to Disney acquiring Fox in 2019, with Wolverine as one of the most popular character brands under that larger umbrella.
The Age Gap Concern: Why Wolverine Was Left Out
The decision to leave Jackman out had to do with a concern about the age gap between potential co-stars, Jackman and Sophie Turner. Jackman, now 55, would have been approximately 50 years old during Dark Phoenix, and Sophie Turner, 27 years his junior, would have been in her early 20s.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Director Simon Kinberg gave his rationale for this decision, emphasizing the importance of servicing the love story between Logan and Jean. He expressed how the age gap didn't sit well with him and the risk of crowding out Jean Grey's origin story.
The Impact and Rightfulness of the Decision
This change is just as well, because that love story may well have crowded out Jean Grey's origin story, in what was meant to be Turner's breakout film as the character. Kinberg seemed equally aware of this potential pitfall, and that also weighed into his decision.
Director Simon Kinberg's decision not to include Wolverine was a thoughtful move, considering the potential controversy and the significance of Jean Grey's story in Dark Phoenix. It also raises questions about the portrayal of female heroes' stories in the MCU.
