Wolverine's MCU Debut Is Great (If It Ends With Deadpool 3)

Hugh Jackman will be reprising his iconic role of James Howlett, a.k.a. Wolverine, in Marvel Studios' upcoming Deadpool 3, but this shouldn't be a permanent return to Marvel for the actor. Ryan Reynolds confirmed in September 2022 that Jackman will be joining him for his maiden voyage into the MCU, bringing two of the Fox X-Men franchise's most beloved characters into Marvel Studios' rich universe. However, this team-up raises more questions than answers for the future of Wolverine and the X-Men in the MCU, since many believe it's time for new faces to take on some of the more primary roles.

Deadpool 3 will be hitting theaters in November 2024, bringing Reynolds and Jackman into the MCU proper after their prior careers in Fox's X-Men universe. With them, it's rumored that Owen Wilson will be reprising his Loki role of Mobius M. Mobius, suggesting the TVA will have a part to play in the multiversal romp. While the fates of other much-loved Deadpool characters such as the X-Force, including Cable and Domino (Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz, respectively), are still unclear, the fact that Jackman is reprising his X-Men role has many wondering what this means for the future of Wolverine in the MCU.

Wolverine In Deadpool 3 Is Awesome

First debuting in 2000's X-Men, Hugh Jackman was blasted into super-stardom thanks to his portrayal of Wolverine, holding the position of longest-running live-action superhero for a number of years, only beat out by Patrick Stewart after he reprised his role of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. On and off camera, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have a fantastic relationship, but their respective characters only shared the screen once in Fox's X-Men series, though X-Men Origins: Wolverine butchered Deadpool, so many are excited to see the pair interact in full force in Deadpool 3.

Wolverine is perhaps Hugh Jackman's most recognizable role, so it will be great to see him don the adamantium claws once again for Deadpool's first adventure in the MCU proper. It's unknown whhich storyline Deadpool 3 will unravel, but it's certain to feature some multiverse fun, especially since it will release only a few months before the MCU's Multiverse Saga comes to a head in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It could be argued that some of the later Fox films wasted Wolverine's potential, so it's very exciting to see what Marvel Studios can do with Jackman's character in Deadpool 3.

Deadpool 3 Needs To Be Jackman's Final Wolverine Movie (For Real)

Despite it being an exciting prospect for Jackman to return to the role of Wolverine in the MCU, several problems arise with his return, including the fact that he already hung up the claws at the end of Logan, which was claimed to be both his and Stewart's final stint as superheroes. Logan was a fitting end to Wolverine's career in the Fox franchise, seeing the character sacrifice himself and pass the baton on to a younger version of the character, played by newcomer Dafne Keen. Nobody expected his return, and although it was certainly a pleasant surprise, Deadpool 3 must finally see the end of Hugh Jackman's tenure as Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman As Full-Time MCU Wolverine Spoils 2 Franchises

If Marvel Studios intend on keeping Hugh Jackman around as Wolverine after the events of Deadpool 3, this could spell bad news for both the MCU and the now defunct Fox X-Men franchise. Logan was a hugely emotional story to tell in order to bring Jackman's career as Wolverine to an end, so his permanent return in the MCU would severely damage the character's beautiful sacrifice in his prior adventure. Both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart made sure that viewers knew that Logan would be their last portrayals of these characters, and now they have both returned in the MCU, so Deadpool 3 needs to really be the end.

Hugh Jackman's permanent stay in the MCU would not only damage the legacy of Logan, but could also be harmful to the future of Wolverine in the MCU. Speculation has been rising since Disney acquired the rights to the X-Men about which actors Marvel Studios would choose to claim the most coveted superhero roles, with the conversation particularly focused on who would be donning the claws and suiting up as the MCU's official Wolverine. If Jackman returns for more projects after Deadpool 3, this would effectively ruin any other actor's chance at taking on the role, and would make the future of the X-Men in the MCU very uncertain.

The MCU Needs A New Wolverine (After Deadpool 3)

Deadpool 3's inclusion of Hugh Jackman will be perfect to debut Deadpool for his first adventure in the MCU proper, but it should also mark the end of Jackman's career as Wolverine. The Fox X-Men film series came under a serious amount of scrutiny throughout its run, particularly with the most recent films including X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, so Marvel Studios will surely want to completely reinvent their official X-Men team for the MCU. New actors should be given the chance to fill these roles, so while Wolverine will certainly be a huge part of the X-Men when introduced in the MCU, he shouldn't be portrayed by Jackman.

Names including Anthony Starr (The Boys), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), and Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) have seemed to top the list of fan-favorite castings, though Marvel Studios have a talent for gifting relatively unknown actors major roles, so it's unclear who will permanently take on the role of the MCU's Wolverine. Many are calling for a more comic-accurate Wolverine, as despite Hugh Jackman being a physically impressive iteration of Wolverine, the character in Marvel Comics has a much smaller stature. Marvel Studios have the perfect opportunity to redesign the X-Men for the MCU, creating a strong team while distancing themselves from the failures of Fox's franchise.

The prospect of introducing both Deadpool and Wolverine into the MCU in Deadpool 3 is very exciting, boosting awareness of mutants in Marvel Studios' franchise, as well as setting the stage for the eventual team-up of the X-Men. Even so, while Ryan Reynolds might be able to get comfortable in his new home, Hugh Jackman's role in the upcoming Phase 6 film should finally close the door on his portrayal of Wolverine. Deadpool 3 should both be a thrilling buddy-cop adventure for the superhero pairing, and also yet another emotional farewell for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, opening the door for a new actor to continue his legacy.

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