Hugh Jackman's Wolverine comeback in Deadpool 3 could set up the MCU's perfect version of the character, albeit not his own. The announcement of Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 was a major shock, 2017's Logan having very much positioned the film as his last Wolverine performance, to the point of killing him off. With Jackman returning, that could hint to other members of Logan's cast making a similar return, potentially allowing for the best Wolverine return in the process.

Specifically, this could involve Dafne Keen's Laura a.k.a. X-23 making a welcome comeback in the MCU. Keen's dialogue-light performance as X-23 was one of the most praised aspects of Logan. Meanwhile, Jackman's return in Deadpool 3 still seems likely to be a one-off, while the MCU will remain in need of a Wolverine as it prepares for the long-awaited debut of the X-Men. Fortunately, Dafne Keen's very popular and formidable X-23 could be just the adamantium-clawed mutant for the job. The fact that Logan's version of Wolverine is making his MCU bow also opens the door for a dramatic Dafne Keen return.

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Jackman's Return Opens Other Possibilities (Like X-23)Wolverine in the woods with X-23 in Logan

The story being used for Jackman's return in Deadpool 3 remains undisclosed, though in his and Ryan Reynolds's follow-up video to the official announcement, Reynolds specifically stated "Logan died in Logan, not touching that." This indicates that Wolverine's role in Deadpool 3 will not be following on the events of Logan, an easy narrative decision to abide with Logan's ambiguous place in the X-Men franchise's continuity (and the lax continuity of Fox's X-Men movies in general). With Wolverine jumping back into action with such ease in Deadpool 3, that leaves nothing to stop X-23 from doing the same.

Deadpool 3 will not even be the first MCU movie to bring back an alumnus of Fox's X-Men films, with Patrick Stewart having returned as a multiversal variant of Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The comically meta nature of Deadpool as a character makes it entirely possible that Deadpool 3 might not even make much effort to explain the details of Jackman's return and may simply re-introduce Wolverine (comic-accurate suit and all) into a new story with Wade Wilson. The exact same casual approach to continuity could easily be applied to X-23, but with the aim of setting up a more long-term MCU comeback on Keen's part.

Why Dafne Keen's X-23 Should Be The MCU's Wolverine

Laura aka X-23, as she appears in Logan (2017)

Dafne Keen's version of X-23 in Logan was a somewhat reworked version of the character as an 11-year-old girl, and Keen's performance was as much a highlight of the film as Jackman's then-Wolverine swan song. The strong reception of Keen's portrayal of the feral Laura (arguably even more ferocious than Jackman's Logan ever became) undoubtedly was noticed by Disney in their acquisition of Fox. Coupled with the overall popularity of Logan, bringing Keen's X-23 as the MCU's Wolverine would be a move that would undoubtedly resonate with audiences.

The ending of Logan acts as a kind of passing of the torch with his death and Laura leading the young mutants who have escaped captivity. Jackman coming back in Deadpool 3 could be exactly the unexpected development to truly hand the mantle from him to Keen in a way that would enable her to portray Laura in an ongoing capacity. Should Dafne Keen herself be interested in returning as X-23, Hugh Jackman's return in Deadpool 3 could be just the foundation for Keen to step in as the best legacy casting to Jackman's long tenure as Wolverine.

Next: Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Must Be In Avengers: Secret Wars Now, Right?

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