Marvel Comics’ Wolverine is one of the most popular characters ever to grace comic books, but he’s full of mystery. The most asked question by far has to be: exactly what is Wolverine’s age?
Nobody could have guessed just how huge Wolverine would become following his 1974 debut in The Incredible Hulk. He’s since become one of the most popular characters of any medium; instantly recognizable and almost universally beloved.
Part of that was the mystery surrounding him, specifically just how old he is. Wolverine originally had no memory of his past, while stories kept setting a longer and longer timeline. Suddenly, Wolverine was seen serving in World War II and implied to have been alive for even longer.
Wolverine finally got his memories back after the House of M event, though fans actually got to find out his origin a few years earlier. While some numbers are still missing here and there, Wolverine’s definitive age can be more or less figured out with some fuzzy math.
Wolverine’s age in Marvel Comics
Wolverine is somewhere between 130-150 years old, though a specific age or year has never been revealed. A lot of this is likely because Marvel prefers a sliding time scale so they don’t have to age up characters repeatedly.
Though his backstory was a mystery for most of his life, 2001’s Wolverine: The Origin revealed he was born sometime in the late 19th century. Wolverine’s powers first manifest when he sees his father killed by his family’s groundskeeper, Thomas Logan, who is implied to be Wolverine’s real father.
Wolverine kills Thomas and flees the home with his childhood friend, Rose. As an adult, Thomas’ son, Dog, arrives to get revenge for his father. In the fray, Rose is killed, and Logan’s memories again fade as he flees to the woods, where he lives with wolves for an extended period of time.
Why is Wolverine so old?
Wolverine ages slowly because of his mutant power: an accelerated healing factor. The healing factor is unique to Wolverine just because of how strong it is, but that’s not to say it’s unique unto itself.
Plenty of other Marvel characters have a healing factor, but only Sabretooth or Deadpool could be said to have ones on par with Wolverine. It’s kept Wolverine looking roughly the same age since he entered his late 30s.
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What sets Wolverine apart is that his ability to heal is actually much stronger than typically seen in stories. The adamantium coating Wolverine’s bones keeps his healing factor running constantly to fight off metal poisoning, and as such, it’s never really at full strength. Stories where Wolverine loses the adamantium drive this home with his power going out of control, often resulting in physical or mental changes.
Wolverine’s age in X-Men movies
Wolverine is around 155 years old during the original X-Men film, though he doesn’t know that. Fans can figure it out because of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which placed his birth in 1845.
Origins shows Logan fighting through several wars alongside Sabretooth and members of Team X. Wolverine again loses his memory and lives for decades on his own, though this time it’s not due to trauma, but rather having been shot with adamantium bullets.
When Wolverine dies in Logan, he’s 184 years old. The film takes place in 2029, almost 30 years after his first adventure with the X-Men.
How old is Hugh Jackman?
Hugh Jackman was 32 when he first starred in 2000’s X-Men. When he played Wolverine for the “last” time in Logan, he was 49. Obviously, he’s not an immortal mutant who fled into the woods to become a raving madman.
Jackman hails from Sydney and got his start on Australian television. X-Men was his first American role, but it led to a successful American career, with turns in films such as Van Helsing, Les Miserables, and The Greatest Showman.
Of course, he’s not done with Wolverine, either. Despite declaring Logan his last turn, he’ll return for Deadpool & Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds. With Deadpool & Wolverine scheduled for a 2024 release, Hugh Jackman will be 55 the last time he plays Wolverine. Assuming this time actually is the last time.
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