Filmstalker: Wolverine becoming X-Men 4?

I'm confused, I thought the new Wolverine film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, did exactly what it said on the tin and gave us the origin story of the character of Wolverine, yet all I'm reading are that more and more actors are being cast into roles of mutants for the film.

The film is in danger of becoming X-Men 4 rather than the birth of Wolverine the character.

Today Variety tells us that both Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney have joined the cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Monahan is playing someone who can manipulate energy and electricity while Henney is Agent Zero, a member of the Weapon X program who is an expert tracker and marksman.

I've actually lost count of how many mutants there are on the cast now, although we know that the official cast list has the following names - Hugh Jackman, while Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Taylor Kitsch, will.i.am, Lynn Collins and Ryan Reynolds - does that make for about six or seven mutants now?

I'll profess that I don't know the origin story of Wolverine as it was once told, but reading this I would be led to believe that his life is filled with other mutants from the word go, yet after watching the origin flashes in the X-Men films I thought that he was transformed and didn't know that there were any others. Instead it seems as though he's part of a factory line and his story is filled with mutants.

Is the film in danger of losing the focus of Wolverine and his development and ending up introducing us to a bunch of new mutants, their driving forces, motivation and their powers? That could be a lot of screen time wasted already.

I believed that we were going to be getting into the heart of Wolverine, his creation and the factors that made him the character he is today. X-Men 4 here we are, that's probably why they made the name change too, it's more X-Men than Wolverine.

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you're a tad mistaken, yes, Richard. Wolverine's origin has been fleshed out even more since i quit collecting comics back in the late '90's, but he was part of a canadian secret weapons project that hunted him down for experimentation because he WAS a mutant...so it's entirely possible that they'd be working with other mutants as well.

six to ten mutants doesn't sound too out of bounds for me. What i DONT want to see, however, is a story that focuses on Kitty Pryde, Collosus, Iceman or any of the other mutants we met in the last stand.

my opinion is that there will be another X-film within 3 years that will deal with all of that. But as long as Wolvie's origin is told, i'm down with whoever they throw into it ( especially if it's of the likes of Ryan Reynolds or Dominique Monogahn

Posted by: mogulus | February 22, 2008 7:47 PM

Well I did say I didn't know about his origin, just what I had gleamed from the X-Men films, and they suggest, as far as I can remember, that he had the changes made to him in order to become Wolverine.

Regardless of which origin they go with I still think this is getting far too crowded and is in danger of becoming an ensemble film when it is supposed to be Wolverines film.

Posted by: Richard Brunton | February 22, 2008 10:15 PM

Well Wolverine has always been a central character in the previous movies. But because of his skill set he needs bad guys that can challenge him.

I just want the movie called WOLVERINE, the character is known enough not to rely on the X-Men branding.

Posted by: PhoenixP3K | February 23, 2008 12:52 PM

I'd prefer a Wolverine movie with perhaps his back story told in flashbacks, similar to the technique used in Batman Begins.

I really hope they don't make a mess of this movie, but with too many mutants, I'm getting a bad feeling.

Posted by: James | February 24, 2008 1:12 AM

As a long time fan of the X-men comics, as well as the series, I feel that there isn't enough film to touch on everything they need to touch on. Although, I love Wolverine (especially played by Mr Jackman), I'm more interested in the conclusion of the third film: Professor X is alive; Magneto has regained his powers; and we all know that the Phoenix cannot be killed. Cyclops cannot be dead and we never really explored Rouge's powers. She eventually can fly, and gains superhuman strength. Furthermore, Gambit was my favorite character and not seeing him in any of the three films was a huge disappointment. I'm extremely excited to see how he'll be portrayed. That being said, I feel as if there is so much to cover aside from the origin of Wolverine.

Posted by: Sarah | April 19, 2008 7:52 AM

Hi James. You comment interested me the most. I have heard several rumours about the ending of X Men 3 and its really got me in a muddle.

1) Apparently the camatose patient at the end of the film was NOT Proffessor X!! When i heard this, i felt like i had been slapped in the face. I thought that this sounded completely random but the patient at the end is --- (DRUMM ROLL PLEASE)--- Onslaught!!!

2) Lost star Josh Holloway has been approached for the role of Gambit in the next X Men film

hey i got your 1st two points. Phoenix doesnt die and Prof X apparently being alive. But why can't cyclops be dead? i thought that Jean's face in the hospital scene with Logan clarified that she killed him. And Rogue.. i have so much to say bout her but i'll cut it down... apparently there was an extension of the scene where she held Bobby's hand at the end.. the lil bald boy was sitting behind the bed playing the gameboy, thus rendering her powers useless..does that mean she still has them?

Posted by: Mujthaba | May 16, 2008 3:33 PM