Starting with the “Loki” TV series in 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dabbled with the concept of the multiverse. Various characters throughout the MCU can jump between dimensions and meet parallel versions of themselves, giving us the Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, the multiverse isn’t a very satisfying dramatic tool. Why champion the survival of a character when they can be replaced by a variant at any time? But it sure comes in handy when you want to cannibalize an entertainment franchise for fanservice. Any previous cinematic version of a character could now interact with newer versions thanks to the multiverse. The multiverse may have worked for “Loki,” but it was a bit of a bust in Sam Raimi’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and then it proved to be the most lucrative in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the 2024 film “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
As for the latter, the film featured an early montage of Wolverine variants, most of them played by Hugh Jackman (and one by Henry Cavill), who came from parallel universes visited by Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). Later in the film, it was revealed that there were also about a hundred Deadpool variants, and the two titular heroes had to stab them all. But don’t worry. Deadpool can’t actually die (unless we’re talking Nicepool).
Director Shawn Levy and writers Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Zeb Wells had considered other versions for Deadpool and Wolverine, but some of them did not make it into the film; in a parallel universe, it seems, Wolverine would have been a real Wolverine. However, many versions did not make it into the film because the film was already too overloaded, especially with several cameo appearances by well-known superhero stars.
However, costume designer David Masson recently revealed another shortened version: It seems as if there was once supposed to be an amalgam figure that combined Deadpool and Wolverine.
Wolverinepool? Or Wolverpool? Maybe Deadverine?
The above costume was designed by Mayes B. Rubio and illustrated by David Masson. It features similar “armor” on the chest as the costume Wolverine wears in the film, but is the same red color and full mask as Deadpool. It also features the bizarre facial wings that have been part of Wolverine’s comic costume since the 1970s, but were previously considered too silly to put on a real actor. The image was shared on Masson’s Instagram account along with several other concept art for various characters that appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, including Nicepool, Dogpool, and Blade.
Masson’s caption read:
“We’ll start with Wolverinepool! Or Wolverpool, Deadverine? One of the variants that unfortunately didn’t make it into the selection. Costume designer: Mayes Rubeo. More to follow!”
Unfortunately, Masson doesn’t provide any context for the character. Should it be a character created when Deadpool and Wolverine magically merged, Tuvix-style? Should it be a mere Deadpool variant that happens to look a bit like Wolverine? Should Deadpool and Wolverine somehow have a child together and raise it as their mixed-race son? All of these things could have been possible. However, it must remain theoretical for now.
The fact that Masson didn’t have a name for the character and just presented him as a fun piece of concept art means that the character probably didn’t play a major role in the film. It’s very likely that Poolverine/Wolverinepool/Deadverine was just one of the many Deadpool variants that the title characters fight during the film’s climax. He would have just added a few more blades to the mix.
