Ryan Reynolds shocked the internet with the announcement that Hugh Jackman would return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Jackman played the role of Wolverine in 2000's X-Men and reprised his role multiple times over 17 years in numerous movies with Wolverine, which concluded with the release of Logan in 2017. Logan marked an epic emotional conclusion to the actor's time as the character, concluding with the character dying but his legacy living on through his daughter Laura. It has been six years since the film's release, and Jackman appeared to be done with the character, having moved on to other projects like The Greatest Showman, Bad Education, and The Son.
Update April 4, 2023: This article has been updated to reflect the recent delay to Deadpool 3 and updates regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Meanwhile, with the purchases of 20th Century Fox by Disney and the ending of the X-Men film series, it appeared the X-Men would be recast within the MCU with the sole expectation of Deadpool. Kevin Feige confirmed Deadpool would appear in the MCU, and his film would be rated R. While Deadpool joining the MCU is a big deal, the character's third feature film needed a big hook. Reynold's fun online "rivalry" with Jackman has finally paid off. Deadpool 3's director Shawn Levy has worked with Reynolds and Jackman separately and feels like a reunion among friends. Yet there might be a more significant for why Jackman finally decided to put the claws back on after having sworn off the idea for so long. This is why Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine.
Just in Time For Wolverine's 50th Anniversary
Deadpool 3 is set for release on November 8, 2024. 2024 is a significant year that will mark the 50th anniversary of Wolverine's first appearance in Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr., Wolverine made his first appearance on the final page of The Incredible Hulk #180 in October 1974 before making his first full appearance (and making the cover) of The Incredible Hulk #181 in November.
Marvel wants to do something big for the character's 50th anniversary, as it is a major milestone for the character. Given that Jackman is the face most audiences associate with the character, it makes sense to have him reprise his role as Wolverine for the anniversary before eventually casting a new actor as the official Wolverine of the MCU. Two of Marvel Studios' other 2024 releases, Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, are rumored to introduce adamantium into the MCU. Bringing in adamantium and seeing Jackman return as Wolverine is one hell of a way to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary.
Deadpool 3 Marks Jackman's Return as Wolverine After 7 Years Away
By the time Deadpool 3 hits theaters, it will have been seven years since Jackman last played the character of Wolverine in Logan. Logan was billed as Jackman's final time playing the character, and much of the media attention surrounding the film was regarding it being the end of his legendary 17-year run playing the character. 20th Century Fox, director James Mangold, and Hugh Jackman wanted to give this version of Wolverine a high note to go out on. The film's critical response and box office return indicated it worked.
This is one reason why many assumed, despite all the jokes Reynolds would make about Jackman's Wolverine joining the franchise, it appeared it would never happen. Jackman had made it clear he was done with the character and didn't want to return to the character and take away the ending for Logan. Spider-Man: No Way Home's ability to bring back Alfred Molina as Doc Ock while not undercutting the original work in Spider-Man 2 showed that Logan's ending could be safe. Jackman himself revealed he will be playing multiple characters, suggesting there will be variant Wolverines in the movie. Or Jackman might be playing a fictionalized version of himself who has to pretend to be Wolverine. Whatever version of Wolverine this is, it will not override or take away from Logan's impactful ending.
Deadpool 3 Will Be 24 Years From the Release of X-Men
It's hard to believe, but when Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, it will have been 24 years since the release of the first X-Men. This is an incredible feat, similar to the original cast of Star Trek still playing their iconic characters for 25 years after the series first premiered. The X-Men movies were one of the earliest superhero movies of the modern era, and many defined the characters with Jackman's Wolverine leaving a large shadow over the characters. There have been many actors to play Superman and Batman, but there has only ever been one Wolverine, and even after all this time, Jackman is still linked to the character.
With Phases 4 through 6 being dubbed the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios is embracing their pre-MCU legacy by bringing in past incarnations of characters from previous movie incarnations like both characters from the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and the two Amazing Spider-Man movies into Spider-Man: No Way Home. Bringing in Jackman as Wolverine further connects Marvel's past to its future, likely setting the stage for Avengers: Secret Wars which draws from the massive multiversal comic which saw various realities in the Marvel Comics universe smashed together. A similar angle might happen in the film, with various cinematic Marvel characters smashed into one reality for a film that is a giant love letter to Marvel's cinematic history.
This Was the Original Deadpool 3 Plan
Deadpool was the hit nobody at 20th Century Fox saw coming otherwise, they would not have taken so long to greenlight it. Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are currently the top two highest-grossing films in the X-Men film franchise unadjusted for inflation, outranking any of the live-action ensemble films. The studio had a lot invested in the franchise and likely would have moved quickly on a Deadpool 3 had the studio not been purchased by Disney. Since then, the original plans for Deadpool 3 appear to have been scraped, as the new film will feature the character joining the MCU.
However, Reynolds did reveal in 2021 that the original plan for Deadpool 3 was supposed to be a road trip movie with Wolverine. It is unclear if this was a joke on Reynolds's part or a serious plot development, but now that could be the case for the planned MCU film. Jackman himself revealed what motivated him to return to the part of Wolverine was getting to explore the rivalry between Deadpool and Wolverine.
What Could Deadpool 3 Be About?
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was the most high-profile addition to the cast of Deadpool 3, but the film has begun to take shape, with shooting expected to begin on May 22, 2023. Karan Soni and Leslie Uggams will reprise their roles as Dopinder and Blind Al, respectively. The Crown's Emma Corin and Succession's Matthew McFayden have joined the project in undisclosed roles.
The film is also rumored to include Owen Wilson's Morbius and Tara Strong's Miss Minutes reprising their roles from Loki. This, combined with Deadpool and Wolverine being from another film universe, suggests it will be a multiverse adventure film. Deadpool 3 will open in theaters seven months before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, likely indicating it will play a role in setting up the next MCU crossover.