Rare among superheroes, Marvel’s Wolverine is famously a short king, with a canon height of 5’3″. Or… he was. Marvel just made a shock change to Wolverine, with the hero now standing at an impressive new height. Of course, this change to canon comes alongside a major twist…
x-men height chart including short wolverine
In this week’s The Last Wolverine #1 – by Saladin Ahmed, Edgar Salazar, Carlos Lopez, Cory Petit – fans meet the new Wonderful Wolverine. A former protégé of the original Wolverine, Leonard is a Wendigo who has taken over the name following Logan’s corruption. Thanks to Leonard’s razor-sharp claws, incredible healing factor and cannibalistic rage, his powers are incredibly similar to Logan’s Wolverine.
new wolverine is eight foot tall
However, in a funny, twist, he does have his differences – Leonard’s Wolverine is 8 feet tall and so cheerful that everyone assumes he’s a teenager under the fur. It’s amusing to see a version of Wolverine who’s physically Logan’s opposite, with a heroic reputation so unimpeachable, kids literally cheer when he turns up to help out.
The New Wolverine Is Logan’s Opposite
At Eight Feet Tall, Leonard Is an Unusual Successor to the Wolverine Name
wolverine being short among the x-men
Part of the Age of Revelation event, The Last Wolverine is set ten years in Marvel’s future. During this time jump, Logan was brainwashed by the villainous Revelation, becoming his chief assassin as the Angel of Death. Leonard took up the name of his hero and mentor, hoping to keep the heroism of the Wolverine legacy alive.
wolverine aka the angel of death in x-men age of revelation overture
At the end of the first issue, Wolverine’s wife Vindicator arrives with a plan to bring him back to his right mind, giving Leonard a chance to save the man who saved him from the cursed hunger of his Wendigo form, training him to use his immense strength and powerful claws for good.
new wendigo wolverine roaring
Once the event concludes, it’s likely that Logan will return to the Wolverine title, and Marvel’s main Wolverine will be a short king once again. However, in the meantime, it’s awesome to see such a different hero become Logan’s legacy, showing that the name ‘Wolverine’ doesn’t have to go hand-in-hand with being a brooding loner.
Wolverine’s Height Is an Iconic Part of the Character
It’s a Detail the MCU Should Honor
short wolverine hugh jackman in deadpool and wolverine
Wolverine’s canon comic height is a reference to his namesake – a short, vicious animal that is so ill-tempered, it will take on any opponent, no matter how big. Logan initially debuted as an antihero opponent of the Incredible Hulk, so he was always going to be the underdog. Marvel decided to make that status permanent by having villains like Sabretooth and Apocalypse tower over him, emphasizing how hardcore Logan truly is to never back down.
wolverine being short and awesome
Despite this, many comics ignore Logan’s canonical height, as does Hugh Jackman’s depiction of Logan in the X-Men movies. Only Deadpool & Wolverine gave fans a comic-accurate Wolverine as a joke cameo. While making Hugh Jackman’s 5’3″ obviously wouldn’t work on a longterm basis, hopefully Marvel casts a shorter actor when it inevitably unleashes the MCU’s own adaptation of the X-Men.
Wolverine’s height isn’t a throwaway detail – it’s the core of who he is as a hero. Logan is the guy who encounters evil-doers that tower over him, slashing his claws and taking hit after hit until he emerges victorious. While the existing X-Men movies treat Logan as a badass loner, his underdog status is lost – at his best, Wolverine is the kind of hero that ‘tough guy’ bullies think they can pick on, only to learn that they’ve made a huge mistake.
The Last Wolverine #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Created By
Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr.
First Appearance
The Incredible Hulk (2023)
Alias
James “Logan” Howlett
Alliance
X-Men, Avengers, Canadian Army, OSS/CIA, Avengers Unity Squad, Alpha Flight, New Avengers, New Fantastic Four, Savage Avengers, Weapon X, X-Force
Race
Human-Mutant