Deadpool & Wolverine was Marvel Studios' first R-rated movie and grossed over $1.3 billion last summer. The threequel proved that not every MCU title needs to be PG-13 and served as a stark reminder of what a huge box office draw Hugh Jackman is when he unsheathes Logan's claws.
That takes nothing away from Ryan Reynolds or Deadpool; however, Wolverine, like Spider-Man, remains one of Marvel's most popular characters, and when you combine that with Jackman's iconic take on the X-Man, interest skyrockets.
Unsurprisingly, the Australian actor is expected to return as Logan in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, when his name was absent from Marvel Studios' massive cast reveal, there were concerns that a deal hadn't been reached.
Jackman first played Wolverine in 2000's X-Men and seemingly said goodbye to the role with 2017's Logan. The prospect of sharing the screen with Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth and a role in the MCU ultimately tempted the actor back, and Jackman has once again teased his future as the iconic mutant.
"It doesn’t feel like the end," he confirmed in an interview with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo for the Variety & CNN Actors on Actors series. "It really felt like the end after 'Logan.' Actually, I needed to claim it as the end, because I really believed in some things that I wanted that movie to be, and I had to fight for them. I had to say, 'This is the last time I’m doing it.'"
"Then when I saw 'Deadpool,' I was like, 'Oh. I see '48 Hrs.' I see Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.' But I would shove it down. 'I’ve told everyone that I’m done. I’m not one of those guys,'" Jackman continued. "Then I went, 'You know what? I change my mind. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m not even gonna say I’m sorry.' And it was so awesome."
Addressing the impact playing Wolverine has had on his career, Jackman explained what the immediate fame he found was like as a man in his 20s. Surprisingly, it sounds like it was initially a tad underwhelming.
"I was 29. Luckily, no one recognized me as Wolverine on the street," he shared. "I remember two guys arguing — in front of me — 'That’s him!' 'That’s not him.' I pulled out my license to settle the argument. It took me a few years just to feel grounded."
Avengers: Doomsday will likely reunite Wolverine with the X-Men, though whether he'll team up with Deadpool again is TBD. For many fans, seeing Jackman standing side-by-side with Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man is a must.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.