Is Wolverine’s Mask CGI in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Wolverine’s comic book cowl finally makes its big screen debut in Deadpool & Wolverine. So, how did the Deadpool & Wolverine team pull off Logan’s live-action mask—with actual fabric or CGI?

Related: Deadpool & Wolverine: Why Didn’t Halle Berry’s Storm Cameo Happen?

Is Wolverine’s Mask CGI in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Wolverine’s mask in Deadpool & Wolverine is a combination of practical costuming and CGI. Actor Hugh Jackman wore a physical recreation of Wolvie’s winged headgear on set. This was then augmented by the visual effects artists at Wētā FX during post-production, who added glowing white eyes and subtly enhanced Jackman’s facial expressions. VFX supervisor Daniel Macarin unpacked the process in a recent interview with Polygon. Specifically, Macarin highlighted the challenge of making Wolverine’s mask emote like Deadpool’s without sacrificing its believability.

Related: How Much Has Deadpool & Wolverine Made?

“If we moved [the Wolverine mask’s] wing tips the way we move the black leather on Deadpool’s mask, it’d quickly feel cartoony,” he said. “And we don’t want people getting into those conversations of, ‘Was the mask digital? It looks animated. It doesn’t fit with Hugh’s performance.'” Macarin added that Wētā FX got around this by focusing primarily on the cloth segments of Jackman’s cowl. “[The] metal moves very, very little, and most of the time, not at all,” he explained. “His yellow fabric moves quite a bit. And that’s where you’ll see the wrinkles and expression come, more in the yellow areas. And then we can move the eyes underneath the metal a little bit.”

Why Earlier X-Men Movies Didn’t Include Wolverine’s Mask

As Macarin’s comments make abundantly clear, bringing Wolverine’s mask to life on screen is trickier than it sounds. Plus, Jackman’s earlier X-outings emphasized tactical leather suits over traditional superhero outfits. This partly explains why the decidedly less self-serious Deadpool & Wolverine is the first movie to feature the X-Man’s face covering (excluding a deleted scene in 2013’s The Wolverine). But according to filmmaker James Mangold, there’s another, more character-driven reason why Jackman didn’t don Wolverine’s mask sooner.

Related: Robert Downey Jr. Had His Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo Cut for a Good Reason

Mangold, who directed The Wolverine and Logan, addressed the live-action Logan’s then-maskless status in a 2020 tweet, arguing that it reflected his personality. “Everything about [Jackman’s] character as I understand it would keep him from donning a self promoting ‘uniform,'” he wrote. Deadpool & Wolverine would later incorporate Mangold’s take on the subject, with the film’s variant Wolverine confessing he refused to wear his costume (including his mask) while still a member of the X-Men. Mangold’s tweet also suggested that Jackman’s successor as Wolverine will likely be more comfortable wearing a mask. Whether this prediction is on the money remains to be seen, however.

Deadpool & Wolverine is currently in cinemas.