The Wolverine (miniseries)
| The Wolverine | |
|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | James Mangold |
| Directed by | James Mangold |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | June 12 – July 17, 2024 |
| Related | |
| Mob Cinematic Universe television series | |
The Wolverine is an American television miniseries developed by Michael Green, James Mangold, Freddie Goodwin for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It will be the first television series in the Mob Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by both Mob Productions and Epic Vision Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It follows Wolverine as he becomes the superhero he is and must overcome various struggles to meet back up with an old friend.
The Wolverine premiered on Disney+ on June 12, 2024 and consisted of 6 episodes, concluding on July 17, 2024, as part of Phase Four of the MCU.
Cast and characters[edit | edit source]
- Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine: The central character, known for his healing factor, adamantium skeleton, and claws.
- Charles Xavier / Professor X: The telepathic leader of the X-Men and mentor to Wolverine.
- Jean Grey / Phoenix: A powerful telepath and telekinetic mutant, and significant figure in Wolverine's life.
- Scott Summers / Cyclops: The leader of the X-Men with the ability to shoot optic blasts.
- Ororo Munroe / Storm: A mutant with the power to control the weather.
- Rogue: A mutant with the ability to absorb the powers and memories of others through touch.
- Hank McCoy / Beast: A genius scientist and a mutant with a beastly appearance and superhuman strength.
- Victor Creed / Sabretooth
- Laura Kinney / X-23: Wolverine's cloned daughter with similar abilities.
Episodes[edit | edit source]
| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Jackson Greene | Freddie Goodwin & James Mangold | June 12, 2024 | |
| In August 1945, Logan is a prisoner in a Japanese POW camp near Nagasaki. During the atomic bombing of the city, Logan saves an officer named Ichirō Yashida by shielding him from the blast, using his healing abilities. In the present day, Logan lives as a hermit in the Yukon, tormented by visions of Jean Grey, whom he was forced to kill to save the world. His solitude is interrupted by Yukio, a mutant who can foresee people's deaths, who finds him on behalf of Ichirō. Now the CEO of a powerful technology zaibatsu and dying of cancer, Ichirō asks Logan to come to Japan so he can repay his life debt. Logan reluctantly agrees and travels to Tokyo, where he meets Ichirō's son, Shingen, and granddaughter, Mariko. Ichirō offers to transfer Logan's healing powers into his own body, hoping to cure himself and relieve Logan of his near-immortality. Logan refuses, believing it is not in anyone's best interest. As he prepares to leave, Ichirō's physician, Dr. Green, poisons Logan while he sleeps, but Logan dismisses the incident as a dream. | |||||
| 2 | "Atomic" | Jackson Greene | Michael Green | June 19, 2024 | |
| Logan, weakened and disoriented from the poisoning, seeks help from Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X. Charles uses his telepathic abilities to help Logan regain his strength and focus. Determined to return to his hometown, Logan sets out on his journey but soon encounters Victor Creed, also known as Sabretooth. A fierce and brutal battle ensues between the two rivals, each unleashing their full fury and strength. The fight is grim and intense, pushing Logan to his limits. Despite the ferocity of Creed's attacks, Logan manages to survive, and Creed eventually flees, leaving Logan battered but alive. Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool, appears in a video message, cheekily calling Logan a "dickhead". | |||||
| 3 | "Echoes of the Past" | Jackson Greene | James Mangold & Freddie Goodwin | June 26, 2024 | |
| After being defeated too easily by Victor Creed, Logan begins rigorous training to regain his strength and skill. His training is interrupted by the sudden appearance of X-23, his "daughter" from a different world. Together, they journey through the area, facing off against agents from the Time Variance Authority (TVA). In a tragic turn of events, X-23 is murdered by the TVA, leaving Logan devastated. Meanwhile, Creed is in New York, building a machine designed to open a portal to unknown forces. Consumed with grief and anger, Logan vows to avenge X-23's death. As he prepares for his next move, Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, approaches him with crucial information. It is revealed that the TVA is under Creed's control, further fueling Logan's determination to stop him. | |||||
| 4 | "Team of Superheroes" | Jackson Greene | Michael Green | July 3, 2024 | |
| Charles Xavier, Jean Grey (Phoenix), Scott Summers (Cyclops), Ororo Munroe (Storm), and Rogue team up to investigate the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Their efforts take a tragic turn when Charles is killed during their investigation. Meanwhile, Logan and Hank McCoy (Beast) continue their own search, uncovering Creed's plan to use a mysterious machine. They travel to New York but find no trace of the machine or Creed. Jean, Scott, Ororo, and Rogue rendezvous with Logan, updating him on the situation. Just then, Deadpool appears, wielding a TVA tool. Using this device, Deadpool transports Logan to the TVA headquarters. In a furious onslaught, Logan kills all the TVA members, destroys Deadpool, and escapes the facility. As the episode concludes, Creed begins to grow more powerful, hinting at the ominous events to come. | |||||
| 5 | "The X-Men" | Jackson Greene | Michael Green | July 10, 2024 | |
| The X-Men regroup with the arrival of X-23 from Earth One. Logan struggles with guilt over his recent actions but is reassured by Deadpool that the TVA members deserved their fate. Suddenly, Creed appears, launching a vicious attack on everyone and hindering their progress. Taunting Logan, Creed insists he will never win before making his escape. Determined, Logan and the team travel to New York, only to find chaos and destruction. Amid the turmoil, they encounter Lady Deathstrike. Logan engages her in a fierce duel and emerges victorious. However, before they can catch their breath, Creed kills Lady Deathstrike and begins a rampage, destroying stores around New York, escalating the chaos. | |||||
| 6 | "So... This is it?" | Jackson Greene | Freddie Goodwin & James Mangold | July 17, 2024 | |
| Logan battles Creed across New York City as the other X-Men work to protect innocent bystanders. The fight is intense, and Logan is killed in the process, only to recover thanks to his healing abilities. He ultimately manages to stop Creed, who then commits suicide. After the battle, Logan vows to continue protecting the world. Deadpool sends a message, stating he's searching for someone named "Francis." Logan curtly responds, "Fuck off!" Meanwhile, Ajax, also known as Francis, is revealed to be in Hoboken, New Jersey. In a mid-credits scene, Ajax is shown killing hundreds of people and turning some into mutants, hinting at further chaos to come. | |||||
Production[edit | edit source]
Development[edit | edit source]
By June 2020, James Mangold was confirmed to be working with Freddie Goodwin on developing a Wolverine centered television series which would be a "event" and would release on Disney+. Hugh Jackman was confirmed to be reprising his role from 2014's Deadpool and confirmed this seris would not be his last project in the MCU.
In September 2020, Kyle Bradstreet was revealed to be developing a television series for the streaming service Disney+ centered on the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury. The character had previously been one of ten properties announced in September 2005 by Marvel Entertainment chairman and CEO Avi Arad as being developed for film by the newly formed studio Marvel Studios, after Marvel received financing to produce the slate of films to be distributed by Paramount Pictures; Andrew W. Marlowe was hired to write a script for a Nick Fury film in April 2006. In April 2019, after Samuel L. Jackson had portrayed Nick Fury in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films as well as the Marvel Television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Richard Newby from The Hollywood Reporter felt it was time the character received his own film, calling the character "the MCU's most powerful asset yet to be fully untapped". Jackson was attached to reprise his role in Bradstreet's series, with the latter writing and serving as executive producer.
In December 2020, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige officially announced a new series titled Secret Invasion, with Jackson co-starring with Ben Mendelsohn in his MCU role of Talos. The series is based on the 2008–09 comic book storyline of the same name, with Feige describing it as a "crossover event series" that would tie-in with future MCU films; the series' official premise further described it as a crossover event series. Marvel Studios chose to make a Secret Invasion series instead of a film because it allowed them to do something different than they had done before. Bradstreet had worked on scripts for the series for about a year, before he was replaced with Brian Tucker. Directors were being lined up by April 2021. Thomas Bezucha and Ali Selim were attached to direct the series a month later, with each expected to direct three episodes and work on the story. However, Bezucha left the series during production because of scheduling conflicts with reshoots, and Selim ultimately directed all six episodes. The series reportedly went through multiple issues during pre-production, which necessitated Marvel Studios' executive Jonathan Schwartz becoming more involved with the series to get it "back on track" as it had fallen behind schedule and risked some actors becoming unavailable due to other commitments. The episodes were described as being an hour-long each, with the series ultimately totaling approximately 4.5 hours. Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, and Schwartz served as executive producers on the series alongside Jackson, Selim, Bradstreet, and Tucker. The budget for the series was $211.6 million. This was noted for being a large budget compared to the content in the series, which did not use large action set pieces or extensive visual effects. Extensive reshoots were believed to partially be the reason for the large budget.
Release[edit | edit source]
The Wolverine is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on October 12, 2024 and will consist of 6 episodes, as part of Phase Four of the MCU.
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
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