Ryan Reynolds dropped a major bombshell on the comic book fan community in 2022 by casually announcing the return of Hugh Jackman in the role of Logan, aka Wolverine, in the upcoming Deadpool 3. After years of declaring he was done with the role, Jackman will be returning as everyone's favorite clawed mutant who was last seen in 2017's Logan.

Though recent set images give a tease of the film's plot, including a post-apocalyptic Fox X-Men Universe, complete with the old 20th Century Fox logo, not much is known yet regarding details of Wolverine's involvement in Deadpool's newest film. So fans have been left to daydream about what Wolverine's involvement in the film might mean for the character. One major demand from fans is that Jackman's Logan should finally don his iconic yellow and black costume from the comics. After nine appearances in the Fox-produced X-Men franchise starting in 2000 with X-Men and ending with 2017s Logan, it seems only right that the fan's long-standing hope to see Jackman don his comic-accurate suit finally be fulfilled.

Update July 13, 2023: This article has been updated by Valerie Parker with updated information on the ongoing Deadpool 3 production.

It looks like fans are finally getting their heart's desire. In a first look at the film posted by Reynolds on his social media, fans get a look at the Deadpool 3 team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine, complete with Wolverine in the iconic yellow and black. Now that it is confirmed that Jackman will wear the iconic Wolverine costume, let us take a look at why Deadpool 3 is the perfect movie to give us a comic-accurate Wolverine.

A Relic of a Different Era

Halle Berry Storm Wolverine X-men
20th Century Fox

Hugh Jackman first starred as Wolverine in 2000's X-Men. That was a wholly different time for superheroes. Comic book movies were looked down upon as kitschy, B-movie fare. Often those who tried to make a serious adaptation of superhero comics tended to try to distance the film from its comic roots as much as possible.

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It was this same sensibility that made the creators of the live-action X-Men movie take the group of superheroes out of their colorful, comic-accurate costumes and put them in uniformly black suits that looked like something out of The Matrix. In fact, the movie makes a joke at one point about Wolverine wearing "yellow spandex," poking fun at the character's beloved costume from the comics.

A Changing View of Superhero Movies

Hugh Jackman screams as the famous Wolverine in X-Men movies
20th Century Fox

The 2000s wrought a marked change in the way audiences and critics viewed superhero movies. The critical and commercial success of the X-Men and Spider-Man franchise, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight was a game-changer for the genre. Audiences were learning to embrace superhero culture, and comic-accurate costumes were starting to be seen as "cool" instead of corny.

Even the X-Men started appearing in costumes closer to the comics. Apparently, Wolverine did not get the memo. Hugh Jackman continued to wear regular clothes as the character right up until his last appearance in the role in 2017s Logan. There was going to be a tease at his iconic costume in 2013's The Wolverine, but the scene was deleted. It is a testament to the actor's ability to embody the character so completely that he remains the perfect Wolverine in the minds of audiences despite never having worn the superhero suit.

Deadpool Signaled a New Era of Marvel Movies

Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool
20th Century Fox

If the original X-Men was a game-changer for the superhero movie genre in the 2000s, so was the first Deadpool movie when it was released in the 2010s. After years of lobbying by Ryan Reynolds and a couple of misfires, the Merc' with the Mouth made his live-action solo debut in a movie that gleefully embraced every crazy thing about the character from the comics, from his fourth-wall-breaking jokes to a superhero suit that looks like it was ripped straight from the comics.

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The success of the Deadpool franchise was the final proof that audiences are ready for comic book movies that are not ashamed of being comic book movies. What better way to celebrate this new era of comic book movie sensibility than by giving Hugh Jackman the opportunity to finally portray Wolverine the way he is meant to look in the comics?

Hugh Jackman is Ready for the Challenge

Wolverine in Deadpool 3
20th Century Studios

The biggest obstacle to getting a comic-accurate Wolverine costume in a movie up to this point is that the character as played by Jackman has been written and portrayed as the last person who would try to draw attention to himself with a flashy costume, particularly while on a mission. This was the very reason that Logan director James Mangold gave for not putting the character in his superhero costume in the movie.

This obstacle disappears once Wolverine is standing next to a live-action Deadpool. The latter character's franchise has done a great job of taking comic-accurate costumes and putting them in the live-action world in a grounded and convincing manner. Finally, Jackman seems all on board with the idea. So much so that even before Reynold's reveal, Jackman shared a picture of a black-and-yellow Wolverine costume on social media which hinted that he would indeed be wearing something similar on the big screen.

The Costume Itself

Deadpool 3 & Wolverine vs Deadpool
Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics

Now that the costume is finally revealed, what is interesting is how it compares and contrasts to the original comic outfit. Like most film adaptations of comic-accurate costumes made in both the Marvel and DC universes, it appears instead of the spandex of the comics, Logan will be sporting a leatherette version of his costume. These changes likely make the costumes more palatable for the actors who play these iconic characters while also updating them for a new and more dynamic medium such as film.

Also worth noting is the costume features sleeves, while the iconic comic book version does not. This is likely for real-life health reasons. Hugh Jackman has spoken that he is at risk for skin cancer, meaning that the costume department took this into how they designed his Wolverine suit and gave him the most protection from the sun since it appears they are doing a lot of exterior shooting.

Bringing Wolverine Full Circle

X-Men Animated Series
20th Television

Deadpool 3 is probably going to be the last time Jackman will ever play Wolverine. Even if the actor wished to continue with the role, he is in his mid-fifties at the moment, and playing the superhero in his sixties would be unfeasible. This is likely going to be the last time fans get to watch Logan draw out his claws and snarl at his enemies (which might or might not include Deadpool) on the big screen.

It would be a fitting sendoff to the character for him to do so in his classic comics costume in full glory, celebrating the new golden era for superhero movies that Jackman's Wolverine had such a big hand in ushering in. It goes to show how far superhero movies have come. In 2000 X-Men made fun of the idea of yellow spandex, and now in 2024, Deadpool 3 will show that the costume is just as cool, if not cooler, than black leather.