The Marvel and Disney crossover you never thought you'd see happen is on the horizon. 2024 marks some big-time anniversaries for two staples of the Marvel and Disney universes. Donald Duck is turning 90, and Wolverine is celebrating 50 years since his debut. Both characters are icons in their respective fields, with Donald Duck being a central figure in all things Disney, and Wolverine as one of the most popular X-Men and Marvel heroes. So what better way to celebrate Donald Duck's 90th anniversary and Wolverine's 50th anniversary than a mash-up story under the What If...? banner?
Marvel Comics revealed the new one-shot, Marvel & Disney: What If...? Donald Duck Became Wolverine #1. The comic was announced this week at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. It comes from two acclaimed Disney comic creators, writer Luca Barbieri and artist Giada Perissinotto, and is the latest comic book collaboration between Marvel and Disney following the What If...? Disney Variant Covers of the past few years, and the highly-anticipated Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1 one-shot comic out this June.
The Donald-Wolverine mash-up will be joined by other reimagined Disney and Marvel characters in a tale inspired by Wolverine's Old Man Logan story arc. In addition, the saga will revisit some of the greatest moments in Donald-Wolverine's history including his time spent with Weapon X and the Uncanny X-Men.
On merging these two icons, Barbieri said, "Donald Duck and Wolverine are two characters that seem almost impossible to make coexist, but in fact they possess very similar personality: they are both hot-tempered and unlucky, but in adversity they do not lose heart and always show that they have a big heart! Once this point was focused, writing the story turned out to be easy and fun!"
"I always thought Wolverine's sideburns only looked good on Uncle Scrooge, but when I drew them on Donald Duck I realized they fit him perfectly too!" Perissinotto added. "Those pointy head tufts and thick sideburns go well with his shaggy being. I had so much fun adapting Wolverine's hair to Donald Duck that I would do him like this all the time now!"
What is What If...? Donald Duck Became Wolverine #1 about?
The description for Marvel & Disney: What If...? Donald Duck Became Wolverine #1 reads, "Travel to the near future where chaos rules as Pete-Skull transforms Duckburg into a super-hero-less wasteland. Only Old Donald Duck can turn the tide, but he's given up his battling days and prefers naps and his grandma's apple pie over fighting villains. But when Mickey-Hawkeye comes knocking at the door with Goofy-Hulk at his side, Wolverine-Donald has to make a choice! Will a trip down memory lane change his mind to save the world? Or will the lure of the backyard hammock and a long nap keep him from popping his claws one last time?"
You can find four of the covers below, from artists Giada Perissinotto, Ron Lim, Peach Momoko, and Phil Noto.