How Old Is Wolverine: Logan's Complicated Age Explained
When it comes to iconic characters from the "X-Men" comics, none are as recognizable or beloved as Wolverine. Though the character was born with the name of James Howlett, he has long gone by Logan, a name received from his childhood friend, Rose O'Hara.
That name has seen Wolverine through over a century of life, regardless of whether we're talking about the cinematic version of the character or the more traditional comic book and cartoon variations. This is, of course, due to Wolverine's unique regenerative abilities, a mutant powerset that makes him almost unkillable and nearly immortal.
However, considering how many clues we have about Logan's life and where he's been, it can still be hard to ascertain exactly how old he is. All the same, we can parse out that Wolverine has been around since the late 1800s in the original comic book timeline and that he's been alive in the cinematic "X-Men" timeline for closer to 200 years.
What makes the chronology of Logan's life so difficult to figure out is that it's filled with gaps based on the traumatic nature of his existence. For instance, while he got his "Wolverine" nickname from cage-fighting in his younger years, he retreated to live as an animal in the woods for years shortly thereafter, losing all memories of his former life after accidentally killing Rose.
Logan has had a very long and complex life
The definitive answer of Wolverine's age in the comics is tough to say. His memory was also wiped a second time during his stay in the Weapon X program, where he got his adamantium skeleton, making his journey even more mysterious. However, being that he was said to have been born in the last years of the 19th century, that would make Logan roughly 122-128 years old in the comics as of the year 2023.
Meanwhile, as calculated by Bustle, the cinematic version of Wolverine was 197 as of the year 2029 in "Logan." That makes him quite a lot older than his comic book counterpart, a factor that no doubt helps to explain his world-weary nature in the James Mangold film.
Though Logan is set to return yet again in the upcoming "Deadpool 3," it's hard to know what version of the character we'll be getting and where he will be in his already complicated chronology. Either way, fans can rest easy knowing that they'll be able to see Hugh Jackman in his most iconic role at least one more time.