Considering The Leaked ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Movie? Here’s What You Should Know

Sure, it’s April Fool’s Day, but the early arrival of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” on the ‘Net is no joke, folks.

News broke yesterday evening that an early version of the much-anticipated 20th Century Fox film had been making the rounds online, and while that much of the story is true, there are a few aspects of the news that you should keep in mind before reconsidering your May 1 cinema plans.

According to various sources in and around Hollywood, the version of “Wolverine” currently available online isn’t the final cut of the film. In fact, the most notable story elements likely to be missing from the leaked “Wolverine” movie are the scenes filmed last — specifically, those that were re-shot back in January. That footage is rumored to focus heavily on Ryan Reynolds‘ character, Deadpool, who remains one of the project’s biggest mysteries — and it could be a mystery that the leaked film might not solve entirely.

Also, since all indications seem to point to the leaked version of “Wolverine” coming from an early test-screening cut of the film, there could be significant differences in plot points between the bootleg film and its theater-ready counterpart. Story elements that were considered too moody or upbeat might have been changed since the bootleg version was cut, while certain scenes that either said too much or too little about a character or story point could have been re-edited to present a dramatically different take on the subject matter.

Finally, the special effects are often the last element of a film to be polished up and receive their final “tweak” by the film’s creators. It’s no secret that the people behind “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” have been talking up the “bad-ass” vibe of Logan’s solo debut — and special effects are likely to play a big part in that bad-assery. (Case in point: that scene where Logan crashes his motorcycle into a truck in order to generate the upward momentum to launch himself at a helicopter. That’s a scene worthy of a final cut, in my humble opinion.)

In the end, I’m not trying to convince you one way or the other with regard to viewing the leaked version of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Simply put, it’s irresponsible to decide whether to support the film based on the bootleg cut without considering how different the leaked version could be from the final cut of “Wolverine.”

As comics fans, we’re the deciding factor when it comes to the “Wolverine” movie being “the best there is at what it does” — so even if you do opt to watch the leaked version of “Wolverine,” keep in mind that the money you put down for that ticket is power, and if you’ll pardon the mixed Marvel message, with great power comes great responsibility.