Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine for Disney and Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3. Ryan Reynolds revealed the news this afternoon, sharing a video on Twitter that features Jackman casually walking by and agreeing to reprising the popular X-Men role that helped launch his career over two decades ago. Deadpool 3 will be released on September 6, 2024.
“Hey everyone, we’re extremely sad to have missed D23, but we’ve been working very hard on the next ‘Deadpool’ film for a good long while now,” Reynolds said.
“I’ve had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special. We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every Deadpool needs to stand out and stand apart. It’s been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside. And I…I have nothing. Yeah, just completely empty up here. And terrifying. But we did have one idea.”
“Hey, Hugh, you want to play Wolverine one more time?” Reynolds asks as Jackman walks by. “Yeah, sure, Ryan,” Jackman replies.
Hard keeping my mouth sewn shut about this one. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/OdV7JmAkEu
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) September 27, 2022
From a Variety report:
Shawn Levy, who made “Free Guy” and “The Adam Project” with Reynolds, is directing “Deadpool 3,” which will officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who penned the first two “Deadpool” films, returned to write the third. Reese has previously confirmed that “Deadpool 3” will remain R-rated, even within the family-friendly MCU.
Reynolds and Jackman have a long superhero history together. The “Deadpool” star first appeared as the character in 2009’s widely panned “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which was the first “X-Men” spinoff to focus on Jackman’s character. That version of Deadpool, however, had his mouth sewn shut and did not feature his iconic red-and-black costume. Several years later, Reynolds got another go-round as the wise-cracking assassin in a proper, R-rated “Deadpool” movie.
Jackman had repeatedly claimed that 2017’s Logan would be his last time playing the character, which was believable, considering the fate of the character in the R-rated film directed by James Mangold. But as Kevin Feige has said, “Anything’s possible in the multiverse.”