There are two reactions to the news of Hugh Jackman returning to play Wolverine; either you’re very excited or very disappointed, there’s simply no in-between.
Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, posted a very funny video in which he asks Jackman to come back to play Wolverine in the superhero sequel because they’ve run out of ideas. Jackman nonchalantly responds “Yeah, sure, Ryan.” Cue everyone losing their minds online.
Jackman last played the clawed hero in 2017’s Logan which was the pitch perfect send-off for the character. It’s not a huge surprise that Jackman is reprising the role in Deadpool 3, which is the first official Deadpool film to be part of the MCU, but it’s still hard not to be a little cynical about bringing back a character Jackman had, quite literally, buried.
Hard keeping my mouth sewn shut about this one. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/OdV7JmAkEu
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) September 27, 2022
Hollywood clearly has trouble keeping anything dead for too long when there is plenty of cash to be made. Funnily enough, Patrick Stewart also said Logan would be his last appearance as professor Charles Xavier, only to appear in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness earlier this year.
This year has really proven Hollywood’s incessant need to bring back old characters or known public figures in order to make bank. Andrew Dominik’s Blonde is premiering on Netflix today and 2022 has been a big year for sequels as we’ve had the second Doctor Strange film as well as the fourth Thor film. Disney+ also hit big with Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was well-reviewed but ultimately a stale attempt at reviving an old fan favourite character.
Logan director James Mangold posted a clip of Wolverine dying in Logan, but later voiced his support for Jackman returning to play the iconic character.
Oh my gosh! Everybody chill. Just kidding! I’m all good! LOGAN will always be there. 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! pic.twitter.com/qaCG4Z39x4
— Mangold (@mang0ld) September 28, 2022
“LOGAN will always be there,” the director tweeted and the sentiment is certainly true. Logan can, and will always, be enjoyed by fans and audiences but there is a distinct lack of consequence in the MCU specifically. Introducing the multiverse to their films has essentially given the studio a get-out-of-jail-free card and allows them to resurrect anyone and change events as they please.
That being said, Reynolds and Jackman together on screen will be hilarious and we can expect the Merc with a Mouth to surely make meta jokes about the circumstances in which Wolverine is returning. There is currently no release date for Deadpool 3 but it’s safe to say this one is still a couple years away at least.
