This month is the month that Wolverine dies in Death of Wolverine by writer Charles Soule and artist Steve McNiven. In an interview with , writer Soule explains that Wolverine is “the cause of many of his own problems…Part of him might want to stop fighting, but it’s just not in his nature.” Logan’s superpower is his ability to heal, which has slowed his aging process. After living for over a century, maybe he is ready for the end of his life.
I tend to question why characters are killed off in comic books, if there is a reason for it other than publicity. Of course the death of Captain America generated tons of publicity and boosted sales of the comic because he is an iconic, all-American comic book hero. Captain America has been idolized for decades as the poster boy for America.
I do not think Wolverine’s death will get the same reception, but what I did like about Captain America was that his death was shocking precisely because he was the macho embodiment of a soldier for America. It showed that anyone could fall, but with a character like Wolverine who is already so flawed (and Canadian, not American) and has already made many mistakes in his life, the prospect of death does not sting as much as it did with Captain America.
There is some skepticism as to whether this will actually become permanent because comic book characters die all of the time. Usually it is in a different universe, or another person steps into the role, or they come back to life, or faked their deaths and in the end, the character remains living one way or another.
However, Soule says that it “is an event that’s designed to stick.” Although Soule can say this with certainty for now, I feel like there is always a chance in the future for the rebirth of any comic book character. There are so many possibilities for new stories that even if Wolverine remains dead, new stories could be told in alternate universes or from his past that has not been explored before.
I am skeptical about the permanent death of Wolverine because of the reasons above and also because of movies. Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine has become iconic. I know when I think about Hugh Jackman I think of Wolverine, not Jean Valjean. There is still the movie portrayal of the character that will live on even if the character is killed in the comic books. Movies have a much wider audience than comic books do and that reach will keep the character alive as long as they keep making movies. If anyone was truly upset about Wolverine’s death, there are always other genres in which he will stay living.
You can’t help but wonder if Marvel owned the rights to the X-Men movies, would they make the change on screen? Since 20th Century Fox owns the rights, it would not make sense for them to kill off a beloved character. At least if I start to feel the loss of Wolverine I can always watch him in the movies.