James Mangold directed The Wolverine and Logan, with the latter movie ending Hugh Jackman's tenure as the clawed moment. Or so we thought.
The actor will reprise the role in Deadpool 3, though it's already been confirmed nothing we see there will contradict the events of Logan. That movie featured the character's demise in a world where the X-Men had been destroyed by Professor X after he lost control of his psychic abilities.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Mangold might be upset about Jackman returning to his most famous role after their collaboration in 2017, but the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny helmer has no hard feelings.
"I'm thrilled for him to get a chance to play with it again," he tells ET Online. "Whether one way or another, I knew Logan wouldn't be the last time we see a Wolverine movie."
"We had our moment to kind of let that movie play and I'm really moved by how much that picture lives in people's memories. You can't put a moratorium on characters."
The events of Deadpool 3 are expected to take place prior to Logan, so Wolverine can always be returned to his rightful place in the timeline (a rather depressing thought when we know what eventually happens to him and his fellow mutants in 2029). Ultimately, it's probably best not to give this too much thought, particularly when the Multiverse is involved and Fox never really established a definitive canon for its X-Men movies.
As for Mangold, he looks set to have a busy few years ahead, as he has a new Star Wars movie and DC Studios' Swamp-Thing on the horizon. The former, which tells the story of the first Jedi, is likely to be released first.
Deadpool 3 is set to be released in theaters on November 8, 2024.
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