Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, as confirmed by an announcement from Ryan Reynolds. Deadpool 3 is scheduled for release on September 6, 2024, and will be followed closely by Fantastic Four in November of that same year in Phase 6.
Deadpool will officially become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which will complete the long-awaited reunion with his old friend Wolverine. Deadpool 3 is directed by Shawn Levy, who collaborated with Reynolds on Free Guy and The Adam Project.
Although the extent of Jackman’s involvement in the Deadpool 3 is yet unknown, his appearance will mark his MCU debut alongside Wade Wilson. Despite being part of the X-Men franchise, the favourite fan duo hasn’t starred in a movie together.
The actors also hinted at a pretty bloody confrontation between Deadpool and Wolverine, so it’s inevitable that the film will be rated R. After praising Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, and the MCU, Jackman and Reynolds conclude the film by presenting us with a series of photos of the two over the years.
The last time fans saw Jackman as Wolverine was in James Mangold’s R-rated Logan (2017). The film was stated to be Hugh Jackman’s final film as Wolverine, which was supported by the character’s emotional demise at the end.
Fast-forward to 2019 and Disney’s acquisition of Fox (which held the X-Men film rights before Marvel Studios existed), opened the door for Jackman’s Wolverine and Reynolds’ Deadpool to finally make an appearance in a Marvel Studios production.
The elephant in the room, however, is what Jackman’s return mean for 2017’s Logan. To address these claims, Ryan Reynolds and Jackman released a short video stating, “Logan takes place in 2029… Totally separate thing. Logan died in Logan, not touching that.”
After over 20 years in the role, Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine in Logan (2017) seemed like the end of an era. After all, since the 2000s, Jackman was the catalyst for the last two decades of superhero supremacy in movie cinemas. This is why him returning to play Wolverine one more time is such a big deal among fans.
There aren’t many elements from Fox’s X-Men film era that Marvel Studios should preserve, but if there ever were an exception, it would be Reynolds’ Deadpool and Jackman’s Wolverine.