Marvel Studios Is Reportedly Breaking Ryan Reynolds’ Wolverine Promise

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When Ryan Reynolds announced Hugh Jackman would reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, he made a specific commitment that Marvel Studios now appears to be going back on. After Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 – and the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four – updates on Deadpool 3 were scarce as Marvel Studios developed a story. That changed in September 2022 when Reynolds revealed the exciting news: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would finally team up with Deadpool’s Wade Wilson in the third film.

In a recent announcement leading up to the July 2024 release of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds playfully asked Hugh Jackman if he’d consider reprising his role as Wolverine “one more time.” However, sources now suggest Marvel Studios plans to go beyond that single appearance, with Jackman set to play a significant part in several future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.

It looks like James “Logan” Howlett, also known as Wolverine, might return to the big screen sooner than expected. Reports suggest Marvel Studios is working to conceal his appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, potentially setting his return for December 18, 2026.

According to a report by Scooper Daniel Richtman, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is expected to have a significant part in the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars movie. The film will also feature Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and both Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland as Spider-Man.

It looks like Marvel Studios has big plans for Wolverine even after the upcoming Secret Wars movie, potentially extending into Phase 7. This makes Ryan Reynolds’ joke about Hugh Jackman playing the role “till he’s 90” seem increasingly likely. Reports suggest the studio is developing a new Wolverine film that could once again feature Jackman, who previously played the character at Fox.

Following the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which earned over a billion dollars and broke box office records, reports suggest Marvel Studios wants to bring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman back together for a potential Deadpool 4.

If Hugh Jackman continues playing Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s a possibility he could eventually team up with a new version of the X-Men, having already worked with actors who played the team in previous films. However, Marvel Studios currently seems to be focusing on a different lead character for their upcoming X-Men reboot, meaning Logan won’t be part of the initial team.

Reynolds truly believed Jackman would only play Wolverine one last time when he initially made that promise. However, as development on Deadpool & Wolverine progressed and the film looked set to be a major hit, it no longer made financial sense to not continue with Jackman in the role.

Marvel Studios Needs to Let Go of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine

Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine spanned 17 years with 20th Century Fox, culminating in a satisfying end for the character in the film Logan. Many fans worried that the time-travel plot in Deadpool & Wolverine would undo that ending, but the movie actually paid tribute to Logan’s history at Fox. It also introduced a new version of the character, again played by Jackman, leaving the door open for him to appear in future Marvel films.

This new take on Wolverine feels fresh because of his past mistakes with the X-Men and his closer connection to the comics. However, it’s unclear why this direction couldn’t be explored with a different actor. While replacing Hugh Jackman will always be difficult, it’s something that will happen eventually, so why not consider it now?

Fans have been excitedly suggesting actors like Taron Egerton and Jeremy Allen White to play Wolverine in the future. While Henry Cavill briefly appeared with the claws in a Deadpool & Wolverine cameo, he wasn’t a full replacement for Hugh Jackman.

As a huge fan, I’m thrilled to see Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine for what looks like the big finish to the Multiverse Saga! It just feels right, and finally lets us see his Wolverine interact with all the other heroes we love. But honestly, after Secret Wars, I think it would be a bit of a cop-out if Marvel didn’t bring in a new actor to take on the role long-term. It’d feel like they were relying too much on nostalgia instead of building for the future.

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2026-01-13 23:35