2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine was the clawed mutant's first solo movie...and an utter disappointment. Despite that, the hero did ultimately get a (somewhat disjointed) trilogy thanks to The Wolverine and Logan, with both proving to be significant improvements.
The latter ended Hugh Jackman's run as Wolverine by killing the character, and we expected that to be it for him. Heck, so did the actor himself as Jackman confirmed on multiple occasions that he was retiring from a role he'd been cast in nearly two decades earlier.
Ryan Reynolds managed to convince Jackman to make a comeback and he'll now play a different Wolverine Variant in this summer's Deadpool & Wolverine.
Recently Jackman spoke to Fandango about what drew him back to the Marvel Universe (we don't anticipate this being a one-and-done as Jackman is a dead cert for Avengers: Secret Wars). Unsurprisingly, it sounds like the chance to make up for Deadpool and Wolverine's disappointing 2009 team-up was at the forefront of his mind.
"I was on my way - I was just driving-– and literally just like a bolt of lightning came this knowing, deep in my gut, that I wanted to do this film with Ryan...for Deadpool and Wolverine to come together," he says in the player below. "And I swear to you, when I said I was done I really thought I was done."
"But, in the back of my head, ever since I saw Deadpool 1, I was like 'Those two characters together...' I knew it: I knew the fans wanted it. Ever since I put on the claws fans have talked about these two, so that had always been there, but I just knew."
"I literally could not wait to arrive; as soon as I arrived I rang Ryan and I said 'Let's do it.' Like, I hadn't rung my agent, no one," Jackman adds. "I had to ring my agent [after] and say 'Oh, by the way, I've just committed to a movie.' [Laughs]."
As part of the MCU, Jackman will also don Wolverine's classic costume, a major shift from the time he spent in 20th Century Fox's version of the Marvel Universe. Will he be Marvel Studios Logan post-Secret Wars? That remains to be seen.
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. The movie is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.
The trades have confirmed that Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra, with Wesley Snipes, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Dafne Keen, Channing Tatum, Blake Lively and, as we mentioned above, even singer Taylor Swift among those rumoured to make an appearance.
Kevin Feige, Reynolds, Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers.
Deadpool & Wolverine arrives in theaters on July 26.