There are few Marvel heroes as iconic as Wolverine, especially as the character has now been established as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since his introduction, Wolverine has been one of the most popular X-Men characters in Marvel Comics and has gone on to become one of the best-loved heroes in the wider Marvel Universe. Wolverine’s many movie appearances have seen his popularity swell even further, with Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the adamantium-clawed mutant becoming truly iconic. Despite being a veritable staple of modern superhero cinema, Wolverine’s movie appearances haven’t quite delivered the comprehensive adaptation of his abilities one might expect.
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With the X-Men movie franchise retroactively worked into the franchise via Multiverse magic, Wolverine’s appearances in the movies of the MCU can be collectively scrutinized. When it comes to adapting superpowers for Marvel movies, Logan hasn’t really been given the variety of abilities he has in the comics. The movies seem to have forgotten a few of the character’s major powers, with Wolverine’s live-action stories instead depicting him as a rapid-healing, adamantium-boned, clawed berserker and neglecting other aspects of his mutant abilities.
6) Superhuman Speed
While Wolverine is far from one of the fastest characters in Marvel Comics, he has been shown on many occasions to benefit from enhanced speed. His ability to move more rapidly than the average human is a key part of his combat expertise, allowing him to outmaneuver his foes and gain an edge even over other superpowered characters. However, the movies haven’t referenced the idea at all, and while it isn’t an obvious ability, it’s an important one when it comes to explaining how Wolverine maintains an edge in combat situations.
5) Lie Detection
Another of Wolverine’s powers is his enhanced sense of smell, which has been used a few times in his movie appearances. While the movies have used it in a pretty direct way, having Logan sniff out potential threats, the comics have established other uses for Logan’s powerful nose. He has been shown using his sense of smell to deduce when others are lying, which, though it lacks real cinematic potential, could prove to be one of the best MCU powers that nobody talks about if it were established in the live-action franchise.
4) Enhanced Vision
One of Wolverine’s powers that is often forgotten entirely is his enhanced vision. While his heightened sense of smell is well-known, his ability to see perfectly, even over long distances or in seemingly pitch-black conditions, is far more obscure. As such, it’s another of Wolverine’s powers that hasn’t been adapted into the movies, and though it wouldn’t make him one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, it would undoubtedly come in incredibly handy for Logan.
3) Resistance to Telepathy
Resistance to telepathy is another of those forgotten Wolverine superpowers that even some Marvel fans don’t know about. It hasn’t featured anywhere near as prominently as some of his other powers, but it’s an incredibly important ability for the X-Man to have. Being able to resist even powerful telepaths is another power that gives Logan a slight edge against some of the powerful figures of the Marvel Universe, but the movies haven’t adapted it at all. In fact, Deadpool & Wolverine pits Logan against Cassandra Nova without so much as mentioning the ability, making it seem certain that the MCU has forgotten all about it.
2) Immunity to Mystical Curses
Logan’s regenerative healing factor has undeniably allowed Wolverine to survive some horrible things, but it comes with many secondary abilities that are easily overlooked. One that has featured on multiple occasions is that it effectively renders him immune to mystical afflictions, including lycanthropy and vampirism. He has been infected on multiple occasions, only for his healing factor to prevent it from having any lasting effect on him. As there hasn’t yet been an opportunity for Wolverine to use the ability in a movie, the MCU might well have forgotten it’s something he’s capable of.
1) Animal Empathy
One of Wolverine’s most interesting abilities is also one of those that the movies seem to largely ignore. In the comics, Wolverine has been shown to possess an innate empathy for animals, often written to be due to his own animalistic tendencies. The movies have lightly touched on the idea on occasion, but haven’t actually established it as an ability as it is shown in the comics. Perhaps in the future, the MCU will have Logan feature as part of a literal wolf pack, but for now, it seems the power has been forgotten.
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