Hugh Jackman shocked fans last month with news that he would be returning to his iconic role of Logan/Wolverine for the upcoming film Deadpool 3. The announcement came as a major surprise to followers of the X-Men franchise as Jackman promised that 2017’s Logan, which ended with the death of Wolverine, would be his last time donning the character’s famous adamantium claws. In a new interview with Variety, Jackman told of what went into his decision to bring back the character and the many attempts Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds made to get him to return to the franchise.
Jackman says that he first developed an interest in seeing a Wolverine-Deadpool team up soon after seeing the original Deadpool film in 2016. Sitting at a screening for the film, Jackman revealed that he began considering what would happen if Wolverine and Deadpool met, imagining a buddy cop feel for the film reminiscent of the 1982 action-comedy 48 Hrs. Nevertheless, Jackman noted that moving forward with a team up with Deadpool would feel disingenuous given that Logan was already announced as the final time he would play Wolverine. Looking back over the past few years, Jackman says that he still could never get the idea out of his head. Jackman also noted that while Reynolds tried to convince him to return to the part on a near daily basis, the actor did not agree to come back to the franchise until the end of August.
Jackman’s decision to return to the part came as a welcome surprise for Reynolds, who had nearly given up on wooing the actor back to the series. Reynolds adds that Jackman’s decision came at a great time as he and director Shawn Levy were about to have a meeting with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige about Deadpool 3. Reynolds says that he is greatly excited to play Deadpool opposite Jackman. The actor notes that in addition to being one of his best friends, Jackman has an incredible range, being able to play super masculine characters while also being a talented singer in the Broadway musical scene.
Deadpool 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on November 8, 2024.
