The Wolverine: An Underrated Marvel Sequel That Paved the Way For Future Superhero Films

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With the rise of popularity in superhero films, we have seen the best and the worst when it comes to sequels over the past two or so decades. Some of the greatest superhero movies ever, like The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, and Avengers: Infinity War, are all sequels.

Many disappointing superhero movies, like Dark Phoenix, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Wonder Woman 1984, were follow-up films that didn’t live up to expectations. To avoid similar failures in the future, the genre could learn a lot from a surprisingly good Marvel sequel.

The Wolverine Is Marvel’s Most Underrated Sequel

Many people overlook the 2013 film The Wolverine, but it’s actually quite good. While it might not be one of the best sequels ever made, it definitely deserves more attention. This film takes Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine on a compelling and personal journey to Japan, and it’s based on a popular comic book series.

The first Wolverine movie felt a bit messy and tried to do too much, but this sequel gave Hugh Jackman the space to truly explore the character. The film focuses on Wolverine grappling with his history and finding a way forward after losing Jean Grey. Both Jackman’s acting and the action scenes received a lot of positive attention.

The Wolverine received positive reviews, earning a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a significant improvement over the original film. Despite this, it doesn’t get much attention, making it an underrated movie. Its strength lies in how different it is from previous installments.

The Wolverine Is Totally Different From X-Men: Origins In The Best Way

The 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine was intended to launch a solo series for the popular X-Men character Wolverine. Unfortunately, the movie received mostly negative reviews, suffered from unconvincing special effects, and damaged several characters, most famously Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal of Deadpool.

To make The Wolverine successful, the filmmakers had to take a new approach, and they really revamped the formula. They moved away from relying on bad special effects and trying to set up a larger cinematic universe with too many new faces. Unlike the previous movie, this wasn’t an origin story either.

The movie picks up Logan’s story after the events of the X-Men films, which was important because audiences were invested in seeing how he coped with what happened. Setting the film in Japan also gave it a distinct feel and allowed for exciting action sequences inspired by samurai culture.

Additionally, The Wolverine stood out by diminishing Logan’s primary strength – his healing factor. Removing this ability meant he was truly vulnerable, raising the tension and excitement in every fight. Choosing to drastically change direction after the previous film proved to be a smart decision.

Other Superhero Sequels That Are Way Different From The First Films

While The Wolverine wasn’t the first superhero movie to shake things up for its sequel, Thor: Ragnarok really stands out. After two fairly standard Thor films, Ragnarok completely changed the tone, delivering a bright, funny, and much more exciting take on the character – and it’s widely considered the best film in the series.

While Batman Begins was a strong film, The Dark Knight feels very different in terms of its overall mood and style. It leaned more into the feel of a realistic crime drama, moving away from the typical comic book presentation. This approach clearly resonated with audiences, as The Dark Knight became a huge hit.

Many fans consider Captain America: The Winter Soldier to be the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film because it updated the franchise for a modern audience. After the first Suicide Squad film didn’t perform well, The Suicide Squad tried a new approach, which ultimately made it a big hit. This shows that taking a different path can sometimes be the key to success.

Why Future Superhero Sequels Should Do What The Wolverine Did

Many recent superhero sequels haven’t lived up to expectations, and a common problem is simply repeating the same formula. Thor: Love and Thunder, for example, tried to recreate the success of Thor: Ragnarok but didn’t quite succeed. The same thing happened with Kick-Ass 2.

Many sequels fail to live up to the originals, becoming pale imitations of their predecessors, as seen with films like X-Men: Apocalypse and Wonder Woman 1984. However, Logan revitalized its franchise, becoming an Oscar nominee and widely considered one of the greatest superhero films of all time, proving that taking risks can pay off.

To ensure sequels happen for films that weren’t huge hits, like Captain America: Brave New World and The Old Guard 2, they should consider a bold new direction, similar to what The Wolverine did. With so many superhero movies being released, it’s important for a film to be unique to really stand out.

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2026-01-08 18:06