Much to fans’ delight, Hugh Jackman recently revealed that he’s not yet done playing X-Men fan favorite Wolverine after all. And instead of making just a rumored cameo in the movie, the actor is set to join good friend Ryan Reynolds when his Deadpool franchise makes its debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.In a surprising update on Deadpool 3, Reynolds revealed that he will be joined by Jackman in the movie. More recently, Jackman also admitted to having second thoughts about walking away from the character ever since he announced his decision years ago.
Hugh Jackman Said ‘It’s Time To Leave The Party’ After Playing Wolverine For 17 Years
Jackman has been Wolverine for most of his career. The actor famously landed the role after Dougray Scott wasn’t available due to a scheduling conflict with Mission: Impossible 2. Since then, Jackman had been playing the famous Marvel mutant throughout various X-Men movies, as well as his first standalone film, The Wolverine.
And then, just a few years later in 2017, Jackman returned for Logan. The Oscar-nominated movie was supposed to be the actor’s final outing in the X-Men universe.
“I know Aussies are not known for leaving the party at the right time but (after) 17 years, it’s time to leave the party,” the actor even remarked while promoting the film.
Logan Was Supposed To Mark Hugh Jackman’s Final Film As Wolverine
As such, Jackman was willing to take a big risk for Logan. For starters, it marked the first time that he played Wolverine in an R-rated movie as it openly explored the character’s dark side.
“This is a man whose life is centered on violence,” Jackman explained. “It seemed very difficult thematically, not just in terms of graphic violence but the consequences of violence, it seemed impossible to make that as a PG-13 movie and really get into the thematic of that and on a serious level.”
Meanwhile, James Mangold, the writer-director who helmed Logan after previously directing The Wolverine, also revealed that he and the actor both agreed that it made sense for the character to meet his end in this movie.
“It was really Hugh and I at first,” he revealed. “It seemed logical, that if it were going to be his last film, that he's either going to ride off onto the horizon or die.”
Interestingly, Mangold also dismissed the idea of Jackman ever playing Wolverine again at that time, even saying, “I'd be startled that Hugh was strapping it on again.”
Ryan Reynolds Has Been ‘Relentless’ In Convincing Hugh Jackman To Play Wolverine Again
Jackman may have only started appearing in Reynolds’ Deadpool 3 teasers recently but as it turns out, his frenemy has been trying to convince him to appear in Deadpool for quite some time now.
During an interview on Sunday Today with Willie Geist, Jackman revealed that Reynolds had been “relentless” in getting him to do a Marvel collaboration.
“He keeps coming back to me in all these ways, shapes and forms,” the actor continued. “I just said, ‘You know, I just don’t think the world really wants to see Deadpool with Wolverine.’ Maybe a cameo from Deadpool? I just think it runs over it for Deadpool.”
Unbeknownst to many though, Jackman was already starting to think that perhaps, announcing his retirement from the X-Men universe was a mistake.
Hugh Jackman Admits He Had Second Thoughts About Saying Goodbye To Wolverine While Watching Deadpool
About a year before Logan was set to be released, Jackman attended a screening of Reynolds’ Deadpool. And it was at that moment that he realized that his announcement may have been premature.
“I went to a screening of Deadpool. I was 20 minutes in, and I was like, ‘Ah, d*** it!’” the actor recalled. “All I kept seeing in my head was 48 Hrs. with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. So it’s been brewing for a long time. It just took me longer to get here.”
How Jackman got here seems to be another interesting story. After Reynolds pleaded with the actor “on the daily” for more than three years, Jackman finally relented. Finally, he called Reynolds to let him know that he was on board.
Coincidentally, Reynolds was set to meet with Kevin Feige about Deadpool 3 at that time. And Marvel Studios’ head honcho has made no secret about trying to get Jackman to play Wolverine again for the MCU.
“I got Kevin to talk what, if anything, the future holds for Deadpool in that transaction,” Reynolds recalled of his previous meeting with Feige following Disney’s merger with Fox.
“The subject was coming up in the meeting about if we could find a way to do a Deadpool-Wolverine pairing. It wasn’t possible then. For this to be happening now is pretty d*** exciting.”
Meanwhile, as for Mangold, he is thrilled to learn that Jackman is going to be an X-Men once more. “Oh my gosh! Everybody chill. Just kidding! I’m all good! LOGAN will always be there,” he wrote in a tweet.
“Multiverse or prequel, time warp or worm hole, canon or non-canon or even without a rationale, I cannot wait to see what maddness my dear friends @VancityReynolds and @RealHughJackman cook up!”
Deadpool 3 is tentatively scheduled to be released on November 8, 2024.
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