We’ve seen Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men movies now nearing 30 years, but for a brief while between the end of the Fox X-Men Universe and the adoption of mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe we didn’t know if that legacy was going to continue – per the actor himself.
After the highly acclaimed Wolverine sendoff Logan, Jackman made it abundantly clear he would not be returning as the character that helped carry the Fox/X-Men Universe for the better part of two decades. That is until Ryan Reynolds and Marvel teamed up to bring Deapool into the MCU, and what better way to introduce the merc with a mouth than alongside Wolverine? 2023’s Deadpool and Wolverine delivered just that, a buddy comedy between the two most well known Fox mutants and arguably the best film Marvel has delivered us since Avengers: Endgame – despite it being so good for so many vastly different reasons. So, what’s next for Jackman’s Wolverine? Has he now decided to put down the claws, so soon after finally giving fans the classic yellow suit we’ve waited so long to see on the big screen? According to the actor himself, that might not be the case.
While on the BBC’s Graham Norton Show, Jackman made it clear that he would not be nearly as resistant to a return as Wolverine as he had been over the past few years before Deadpool and Wolverine. In fact, he made it clear he was actually very open to returning as the infamous character in future Marvel installments. According to the actor, “I am never saying ‘never’ ever again… But I did mean it when I said ‘never’, until the day when I changed my mind. But I really did for quite a few years, I meant it.”
So, what exactly does that mean? Your guess is as good as ours. For now, it could mean a cameo in the upcoming jam-packed Avengers: Doomsday. It could also mean cameos in the eventual Secret Wars, as well as joining his fellow X-Men in future MCU based mutant films. While most of the cast of Doomsday has already been revealed, a movie that size is bound to feature some surprise cameos, and who better to add to the surprise cameo list other than Wolverine?
While Wolverine is not new to the cameo game, being a featured cameo in many a Fox/X-Men movie, he has never officially cameo’d in an MCU film and adding the character briefly could be a good way to establish a link between the old school Fox mutants and the eventual new First Class of X-Men inevitably coming to the MCU. He could serve as a mentor figure, a legacy character, or a mutant for the new mutants to aspire to become – among other ideas. For now, we’re not really too sure what Marvel is doing past Doomsday and Secret Wars so it’s hard to make predictions on this one. Unlike the first ten years of the Infinity Saga, this new era of Marvel has kind of been a mixed bag of cohesive story telling and varying quality.
One thing we do know for sure? Jackman won’t be officially hanging up the suit anytime soon.
Where do you want to see Jackman’s Wolverine appear next in the MCU? Let us know in our comment section on Instagram! We’re looking forward to your predictions and ideas on where fans want to see the character end up.
Source: The Guardian
