One year after scoring a massive R-rated comic book hit with Deadpool, 20th Century Fox is hoping to replicate that success with the R-rated Logan, allegedly Hugh Jackman's final turn as Wolverine. While the two projects share the same MPAA classification, they could not be more different in terms of tone and approach. One is a Golden Globe nominated comedy that took pleasure in pop culture references and shattering the fourth wall, while the other is a contemplative character drama modeled after gritty Westerns. This is why it was such a surprise earlier this week when it was reported that Ryan Reynolds had shot a scene as the Merc With a Mouth for Logan.
Shortly after that revelation, Logan director James Mangold, Reynolds, and Jackman all denied that it was true, with Reynolds later elaborating by saying the Deadpool character would not be the right fit for Logan. This was disappointing for fans, since it seemed to kill any chance of Reynolds and Jackman sharing the screen in their iconic roles again (following the maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine). However, it's now come out that a different project involving the two could very well be in the works.
THR's Borys Kit took to Twitter to reiterate that viewers should not expect to see Wade Wilson show up at any point in Logan, but there is still the possibility of something else down the road:
Re: Deadpool in LOGAN - my sources say def no way he's in the movie. BUT...don't rule out something ELSE involving Deadpool & Wolvie.— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) December 29, 2016
Given the popularity of both Reynolds' Deadpool and Jackman's Wolverine, this is an obvious no-brainer from a marketing/business perspective. The X-Men film franchise has been through numerous ups and downs in its 17 years, with X-Men: Apocalypse seen as a critical and commercial disappointment following the positive receptions of First Class and Days of Future Past. As Fox tries to plot out a future for their franchise, combining the forces of the two charismatic leading men would be a sound way to go. Reynolds is more than up for the idea, saying that he needs to get his "Internet friends" on the case and convince Jackman to sign on. The fan response to the "leaked" Deadpool test footage played a major role in getting that film green lit, so maybe this can happen again.
There's no denying seeing Deadpool and Wolverine crossover would be a thrill for fans, but it will be interesting to see if anything comes to be. With Logan being marketed as Jackman's last time wearing the claws, having him come back for another installment could sap Mangold's film of its overall emotional impact. There's always the outside possibility Jackman could be recast as the time-traveling mutant Cable (who's set to appear in Deadpool 2), but since this bit of speculation mentions Wolverine specifically, it would appear that's not in the cards. Regardless of what happens, viewers will be keeping a very close eye on this development, eager to see if anything comes into fruition.
Source: Borys Kit
