Summary

• Wolverine's new suit in Deadpool & Wolverine may be tied to a glove upgrade for easier claw extraction.
• The MCU movie theory suggests that Wolverine's struggles with claws explain the costume design change.
• The altered gloves in Deadpool & Wolverine could also be a nod to Wolverine's comic history with the clawed gloves.

The second 2024 Marvel movie release for the MCU, Deadpool & Wolverine has been the most hyped superhero film of the year for some time - and this hype has only increased with each successive teaser and trailer for the third Deadpool installment.

The reveal of Wolverine's new, more comic-accurate suit was perhaps one of the biggest spots of excitement for audiences, as this had been hotly anticipated ever since a different version of the yellow suit was teased over ten years ago in The Wolverine. However, based on the the MCU timeline may be more than meets the eye.

Wolverine's Claw Struggles Could Explain His Deadpool & Wolverine Costume Design Change

Deadpool & Wolverine's Claw Issue Tease Matches Up With The Hero's Previous Movie Struggles

The design of the iconic yellow Wolverine suit in Deadpool & Wolverine carries many differences to its Fox predecessors, including one interesting detail: the gloves have sockets for Wolverine's claws. This is notable as, in the movies, Wolverine has never worn a suit with this detail. Though movies like X-Men: Days Of Future Past put Wolverine in gloves, they didn't have the sockets - and though The Wolverine's yellow suit appears to have had the sockets, Logan never puts the costume on.

While Deadpool & Wolverine's Logan being willing to put a version of the yellow costume on could just be down to him being a variant who simply has historically worn it, adding a plot point to explain this to audiences who his vehemence for a yellow suit in The Wolverine would make sense. And the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer itself appears to hit on just that, by showing Logan unable to properly extend his claws when turning to fight Wade Wilson in a moment not dissimilar to Logan showing the hero being unable to retract his claws.

If this is consistently the case, the suit's altered glove design may be in order to help extract and retract his claws without these difficulties. This would prevent the movie's Wolverine from struggling with issues with his abilities in the film, while also still showing he's still an older, more worn down iteration of the Marvel hero who isn't too far away from Logan's depiction. The theory may further explain why the scene of Wolverine's claws being unsheathed in the second trailer appears on the slower side, as well, since the Fox hero is generally shown bringing his claws out pretty quickly in battle scenarios.

Why Wolverine's Costume Change Theory Would Make Sense For Deadpool & Wolverine

Changing Wolverine's Costume Because Of His Claws Would Have Multiple Benefits

The Deadpool & Wolverine trailer goes to great pains to show that this version of Logan has lost a lot, with Matthew Macfadyen's Paradox telling Deadpool that "This Wolverine let down his entire world." With this context in mind, having Wolverine either "let down his entire world" because he was unable to properly use his claws - or inversely be unable to properly use his claws because of his memories of potentially dooming his world - would viably explain why the battle-ready Marvel hero has this interesting history.

Notably, this also lets the MCU make Hugh Jackman's Wolverine less powerful at points without necessarily tampering with the legacy of the character and Logan's magnificent send-off. Adding something like a claw malfunction means the conversation doesn't become that Deadpool can beat Wolverine - as he indeed appears to at some point based on him bringing Logan to the TVA - but rather that this specific iteration lost against Deadpool because of another factor. At the same time, though, this would make his victory over figures like Cassandra Nova all the more special, demonstrating his strongest ability is often his unwavering determination.

Wolverine's Glove Upgrade Would Link To His Comic & Movie History

Wolverine's Claws Have Previously Been Tied To His Gloves In The Comics

In Marvel Comics, the original explanation for Wolverine's claws wasn't that they were part of him, but rather just part of the gloves he wore - as Wolverine co-creator Len Wein has confirmed himself. This changed as time went on, and the Marvel hero's powers were altered to be more in line with the explanations that are prevalent in the comics and movies today. With this in mind, having the Deadpool & Wolverine glove plot line would allow for the movie to nod to Logan's roots in an indirect but entertaining manner, interacting with the hero's legacy in yet another way.