Hugh Jackman is coming back as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 - which means that the MCU has to carry a burden that it should have avoided. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool both started out as part of Fox's X-Men universe, which ended due to Disney's acquisition of the company and the X-Men IP. Although Fox's X-Men universe is now considered dead, the MCU's Deadpool 3 seems to be reviving it, meaning that the movie really needs to explain what's going on with the franchise.

20th Century Fox helmed one of the earliest superhero cinematic universes, spanning 13 movies and 2 TV shows over the course of 20 years. This said, the Mutants are some of Marvel's biggest characters, and Marvel couldn't use them in the MCU while Fox owned the IP. However, Disney acquired Fox in 2019, acquiring the IP and effectively ending the X-Men universe, leading to several canceled X-Men movies. The once-beloved franchise concluded with Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, two of the series' worst received films, ending the groundbreaking cinematic universe with a whimper.

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Not long after the announcement that Mutants would enter the MCU, it was confirmed that Ryan Reynolds would continue playing Deadpool in future movies. It was assumed that Reynolds would be the only character carried over from Fox's universe - but that has not been the case. Now that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is coming back, it is clear that the X-Men universe isn't dead - and Deadpool 3 has to explain why. If it were just Deadpool, his move to the MCU could be explained with a fourth-wall break, but now that Jackman is involved, there has to be some sort of serious explanation. Deadpool 3 will presumably start out in the Fox universe, making it one of the many timelines in the MCU multiverse. Deadpool 3 may be the last time that Fox's X-Men universe is seen on its own, meaning that it has to be the film to give it closure. Previously, viewers simply accepted that the franchise was cut short, but now that Deadpool 3 is bringing it back, the film is obligated to answer questions about the franchise's characters, story, and why it's ending.

Why Marvel's Intentions With Fox Movies Is Still So Unclear

With Patrick Stewart's Professor X appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Evan Peters' Quicksilver being teased in WandaVision, the MCU has been picking and choosing elements from the Fox universe to bring to the MCU. If the MCU continues to do this, they will have to acknowledge that the universe is still continuing in some form. However, MCU is getting its own Mutants, making Marvel's intentions with Fox's movies very unclear. Marvel could plan to fully implement Fox's canon into an alternate MCU timeline, or it could simply keep the elements fans like while ignoring others. Either way, what Marvel is doing with Fox's movies in incredibly confusing, and they really need to explain soon - possibly in Deadpool 3.

Most viewers simply accepted that Fox's universe was over, but now that the MCU is constantly teasing audiences with these characters, the MCU has to lay out their intentions in Deadpool 3. The X-Men universe has a massive fanbase, and Marvel has put themselves in a position where they either have to confirm the universe's end or continuation soon. Although it might not be the ideal spot for it, Hugh Jackman's return means that Deadpool 3 has to carry the burden of finishing Fox's X-Men universe.