Comics Banned One of Wolverine’s Most Iconic Traits, Hollywood Brought It Back

Hollywood Let Wolverine Break the 1 Rule Marvel Comics Enforced for Decades Wolverine Hugh Jack Man Running in comic accurate suit By  TJ Mills Published 22 minutes ago TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments.  Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Fans may be surprised to learn that one of Wolverine’s most iconic cinematic staples, something that actually began in the comics, has been outlawed in Marvel’s books for decades. Yet Hollywood continues to embrace it, keeping alive a signature quirk of the adamantium-clawed hero that the comics left behind long ago.

One of Wolverine’s most iconic character quirks is his love of cigars. While this defining and rough-around-the-edges habit still has a strong modern-day footprint in cinema, comic fans may have noticed a clear lack of cigars in his in-print stories.

So did Wolverine kick this cancer-linked habit? Did he switch to vaping or go cold turkey? The short answer is yes, he did quit, but not by choice.

Why Wolverine Suddenly Stopped Smoking in Marvel Comics

Marvel Banned Wolverine’s Cigar-Smoking Habit in 2001

Long-time Marvel readers will distinctly remember how hard it once was to get through an issue featuring Wolverine without seeing him light up a cigar in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. However, this character-defining habit came to a stop in 2001, when the then-editor in chief, Joe Quesada, imposed a smoking ban on all of the company’s main heroes, ending Logan’s long-running vice.

Quesada specifically cited Wolverine and the Fantastic Four’s cigar-loving Thing when announcing the ban. The rule against allowing its heroes to smoke was so comprehensive that Marvel even edited cigarettes and cigars out of Wolverine’s mouth when reprinting older art. However, the policy didn't extend to every character, as certain villains and background figures were still allowed to be depicted smoking.

Hollywood Kept Logan’s Most Iconic Habit Alive When the Comics Couldn’t

Henry Cavill’s Wolverine Variant Ended Up Proving the Cost of Keeping Logan’s Cigar Habit Alive Onscreen

Henry Cavill with a cigar in his mouth as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine

Some fans may find it surprising that such a quintessential character quirk has essentially been erased, while others may be even more surprised that they never noticed the sudden absence of cigars in Wolverine comics. However, Logan’s cigar legacy continued to live on thanks to Hollywood productions, where the smoking ban did not apply, and his on-screen persona could still keep the habit.

Fans can undoubtedly recall numerous iconic scenes of Logan smoking in his 20th Century Fox appearances. However, as of 2015, Disney, which now owns Wolverine due to its 2019 purchase of 21st Century Fox, instituted a no-smoking policy across its films. Though it still seems that there are some exceptions to this rule.

While Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) doesn't feature Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine smoking, it does include the cigar-chomping variant known as Cavilline. Cavilline was played by Henry Cavill, who reportedly became temporarily sick from inhaling cigar smoke during his brief cameo in the film. The experience ironically highlights why it may be for the best that Wolverine is rarely depicted smoking these days.

Wolverine Created By Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr. Cast Hugh Jackman

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Source: Mental Floss

• Comics
• Wolverine
• X-Men

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