Deadpool & Wolverine Concept Art Reveals A Mind-Blowing Wolverine Variant

Starting with the TV series "Loki" in 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been dabbling with the concept of the Multiverse. Various characters throughout the MCU can skip between dimensions and meet parallel versions of themselves, giving us the Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, the Multiverse isn't a very satisfying dramatic tool. Why root for a character to live when they can be replaced by a variant at a moment's notice? But it sure is convenient when wanting to milk an entertainment franchise for fan service. Any previous cinematic version of a character could now, thanks to the Multiverse, interact with newer renditions. The Multiverse may have worked for "Loki" but it was a bit of a dud in Sam Raimi's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and then it proved to be the most lucrative in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and in the 2024 film "Deadpool & Wolverine." 

When it comes to the latter, the film featured an early montage of Wolverine variants, most of them played by Hugh Jackman (and one by Henry Cavill), culled from parallel universes being visited by Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). Later in the film, it would be revealed that there were roughly a hundred Deadpool variants as well, and the two title heroes had to stab them all to death. Don't worry, though. Deadpool cannot actually die (unless we're talking about Nicepool). 

Director Shawn Levy, and writers Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells had thought of additional variants for Deadpool and Wolverine, but several of them didn't make the cut; in one parallel universe, it seems, Wolverine would have been an actual wolverine. But plenty of variants didn't make the cut, because the film was already too busy, especially with several cameos from recognizable superhero stars. 

However, costume designer David Masson recently revealed one more excised variant: it seems that there was once going to be an amalgam character that combined both Deadpool and Wolverine.

The above costume was designed by Mayes B. Rubio and illustrated by David Masson. It bears a similar "armor plating" chest arrangement as the costume worn by Wolverine in the movie, but sports the red coloring and full-face mask as Deadpool. It also sports the bizarre facial "wings" that have been a part of Wolverine's comic book costume on the page since the 1970s, but which, until now, have been considered too silly to put on an actual actor. The image was shared on Masson's Instagram account along with multiple other concept drawings for various characters that appeared in "Deadpool & Wolverine," including Nicepool, Dogpool, and Blade. 

Masson's caption read: 

"Starting off with Wolverinepool! Or Wolverpool, Deadverine? One of the variants that didn't make the cut, unfortunately. Costume designer: Mayes Rubeo. More coming!" 

Sadly, Masson doesn't provide context for the character. Was it to be a character that was formed when Deadpool and Wolverine magically merged, Tuvix style? Was it to be a mere Deadpool variant that just happens to look a little bit like Wolverine? Were Deadpool and Wolverine to somehow have a child together and raise it to be their amalgamated son? Any of these could have been possible. It must, however, remain academic for the time being. 

The fact that Masson didn't have a name for the character, and was merely presenting it as a fun piece of concept art, means that the character likely didn't play a major role in the movie. It's most likely Poolverine/Wolverinepool/Deadverine was merely one of the many Deadpool variants the title characters fight during the film's climax. He would have merely added another several blades into the mix.