Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Deadpool/Wolverine #2! Hugh Jackman’s live-action Wolverine. But, the main version of the character is short, and he knows it. In fact, Wolverine likes being the shortest guy in almost any given situation for one reason.

In Deadpool/Wolverine #2 by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara, Deadpool is being mind-controlled by Stryfe, who is trying to usher in his post-apocalyptic future by creating giant skeletal dinosaur-dragons to wreak destruction all over the planet. Wolverine is doing everything he can to free Deadpool of Stryfe’s control while also trying to uncover the mystery behind Stryfe’s evil plan. That is what brought Wolverine face-to-face with one of those dino-kaijus while he was flying a helicopter, resulting in a decidedly explosive battle.

As Wolverine is being chased by this flying monster, he is narrating his experience, sharing his inner thoughts with the reader in real-time. Wolverine points out that this kaiju is massive, meaning he’s clearly the ‘little guy’ in this match-up. Wolverine then its that he knows he’s always the ‘little guy’ in practically every fight he’s in, and he reveals how that works to his advantage. Wolverine says, “I’m always the shortest guy in a scrape. Tough and mean matter more than tall and ugly”.

Wolverine Isn’t the Only One Who Believes His Shortness is an Advantage

Legendary X-Men Writer Chris Claremont Explains the Benefit of Logan’s Stature

Wolverine proves his own point in Deadpool/Wolverine #2 by showing exactly how he can defeat a bigger enemy by being tougher, meaner, and a cleverer tactical fighter. Not only that, but upon looking back at some of Wolverine’s most iconic fights over the years in X-Men comics, it’s clear that being short has never held him back in the slightest. In fact, according to iconic X-Men writer Chris Claremont, being “the shortest guy in a scrape” actually works to Logan’s advantage.

In a Chris Claremont gave fans the chance to ask him anything about the X-Men - including Wolverine. In that thread, Claremont confirms exactly why it’s so important that Wolverine is short, and why he never changed that depiction of the character during his many years of writing Logan in X-Men canon, even when he was pressured to do so.

Chris Claremont: “A lot of other storytellers miss the opportunity to play to that. The ideal is if you're going to be a lead character, you have to be tall and powerful. We had to keep telling John Buscema he's short because John will look at it and think, “oh, he's a hero, he's got to be tall!” No. Shrink him down. Logan plays against type. He’s unexpected. That’s what make him and Nightcrawler so much fun. You look at Nightcrawler and think “Demon.” But no. He’s the antithesis of that. You look at Logan and think little guy, then you get punched through the wall! He is a person in conflict because half of him wants to be the beast. The other half wants to be the noble spirit.”

As Claremont revealed, Wolverine plays against type, as he’s a little guy who many might assume would be a weakling, but in fact, he is strong enough to punch someone through a wall as if he were a giant brute. Claremont never missed the opportunity to play into this depiction of Wolverine, and ensured that it remained a major aspect of who he is as a character for years to come. And now, with Wolverine’s latest adventure, it’s clear that Claremont’s vision for Wolverine is one that will last through the ages, as even Wolverine himself agrees.

The MCU Needs to Accept Wolverine’s True Size (After Hugh Jackman)

The MCU Turned Wolverine’s Comic Accurate Height Into a Joke

An especially good point Chris Claremont made in the above statement is that many storytellers miss the opportunity to make Wolverine a character who plays against the archetype of a ‘heroic’ character. People think, since Wolverine is a popular hero, he needs to be big and tall. But, the fact that he’s not is part of what makes him interesting, as Claremont proved time and again, and as the new Deadpool/Wolverine series continues to prove now. And one of those storytellers that fail to take advantage of this aspect of Wolverine is the MCU itself.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine made his official MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine. While Hugh Jackman had been playing the character in live-action for some time before that, it wasn’t until he was brought into the MCU that his height was actually brought up. As Deadpool travels the multiverse looking for a Wolverine to partner up with, he comes across a version of Logan who is his comic accurate height. The scene is played as a joke, but it was only funny because the Wolverine in question was a CGI’d Hugh Jackman made to look shorter, which is obviously ridiculous.

Once Hugh Jackman decides to hang up the character of Wolverine for good, the MCU should follow the advice of Chris Claremont and cast an actor to play a short Wolverine that subverts fans’ expectations of what a hero looks like. But, more than that, the MCU should listen to the words of Wolverine himself, as he explains in this issue of Deadpool/Wolverine why he’s fine with being famously short.

Deadpool/Wolverine #2 by Marvel Comics is available now.

Source: Chris Claremont, 2020 Reddit AMA