Where in the World is Wolverine?

The name Wolverine is nowhere to be found on the list of characters for the upcoming X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix. This wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that the character is the de facto and undisputed star of the X-Men cinematic universe. Not only has Wolverine appeared in every other X-Men movie up to now, he's the only X-Man to star in his own movie. And he's got not one but three -- the last of which, Logan, is the best of the entire series.

Though Weapon X's absence may come as a shock, and will most certainly be disappointing, to fans, it's actually pretty understandable. Hugh Jackman, the only actor to portray the Canadian badass on the big screen, is adamant that he'll never strap on the claws again, which means that a replacement will have to be found. And any actor stepping into his shoes will be fighting an uphill battle. Ask Brandon Routh and Alden Ehrenreich. Routh's attempt to replace Christopher Reeves (in 2006's Superman Returns), the definitive Superman in moviegoer's eyes, had disastrous results. Ehrenreich's attempt to replace Harrison Ford (in 2018's Solo) as iconic character Han Solo fared even worse. While both movies were embraced by critics, they were both box-office failures, each losing millions of dollars. Superman Returns lost $54 million and Solo lost at least $157 million.

Another obstacle for future onscreen Wolverine appearances is the fact that the the most recent -- and greatest -- film to feature the irrepressible mutant is rated-R and contains profanity, nudity and very graphic violence. While perfect for stories about a crude, trained assassin with rage issues, none of those things fit the traditional brand of the Disney Corporation, which now (or very soon will) owns the rights to the character since its acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox (the deal will reportedly be finalized in three months time). If Disney refuses to greenlight an R-rated follow-up, fans will most certainly be disappointed. Now that they've finally seen the character in his most fitting portrayal its doubtful that they'll want to spend good money to see him censored and effectively declawed. Future ratings content under Disney is a topic worth exploring given that Deadpool 2, another R-rated Fox property about a character suited for more mature themes, was recently re-released as Once Upon a Deadpool after being re-edited in order to merit a PG-13 rating. The move was widely viewed as an experiment designed to ascertain whether or not fans of the "merc with a mouth" would accept a bloodless and far less foul-mouthed Deadpool adventure.