Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has been lurking in the shadows all this time in the MCU: Deadpool & Wolverine Fan Theory.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and comics are no strangers to mind-bending theories and jaw-dropping twists, often leaving the fans shocked with their execution. However, even Marvel fans are not far behind, creating equally flabbergasting theories that are so good that they can be adapted into movies or comics.

Deadpool & Wolverine

And so as the release date for Deadpool & Wolverine draws near, fans have been busy crafting some boggling theories that can send shockwaves through the superhero community. One theory related to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine might have just revealed the reason for the X-Men’s absence from the MCU, something that James Mangold’s critically acclaimed Logan failed to do.

Crazy Marvel Fan Theory Explains Why X-Men Are Absent From The MCU

A still from MCU’s Deadpool & Wolverine featuring Hugh Jackman sitting in a bar

The upcoming Shawn Levy directed, and Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds-starrer Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated Marvel movies of all time. Marking the return of Jackman, it will be the first time that the two mutants will be seen within the MCU.

The movie established that the two will be teaming up against Cassandra Nova to save the entire multiverse. Apparently the last surviving mutant of his world, one Reddit fan theory suggests that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in the movie is actually MCU’s version of the character.

In the trailer it is revealed that Wolverine has destroyed his world and the world that he must have destroyed must be MCU’s mutants, explaining why no X-Men is in the MCU. This can be further proven by a still from She-Hulk where one headline on Jen’s laptop states a man with a metal claw got into a bar fight and Wolverine and Deadpool meet for the first time in a bar.

Rather than being a displaced figure from some other universe, wallowing in self-pity, the fan theory seems to explain why Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine seems so churlish and cannot recognize Deadpool.

Wolverine’s MCU Narrative Can Be Explained Via Cassandra Nova’s Appearance

Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine trailer

It is common knowledge by now that Charles Xavier’s twin sister Cassandra Nova will be the primary antagonist in Deadpool & Wolverine. A ruthless villain, she infamously committed genocide by killing millions of mutants in Genosha by unleashing an army of Sentinels (New X-Men #132).

Wolverine’s ties with the MCU can be further explained by the appearance of Nova, who might have tricked Wolverine into killing his world’s mutant by compelling him to believe in a false reality. We already know the claw-wielding mutant is already prone to such feats, having killed his family in the alternate universe of the comics Old Man Logan.

It is possible, as per the theory that Cassandra Nova is sent to the void by the TVA. After her possible escape, the Time Variance Authority hires Deadpool and seeks his help to recruit MCU’s Wolverine to take revenge against the Marvel comics supervillain.

This fan theory thus explains the reason why the X-Men are not present in the MCU and why Wolverine failed to recognize Deadpool and they finally teaming up against Cassandra Nova.