Hugh Jackman Says Wolverine Will Return

Even though Wolverine‘s journey ended in the 2017 film Logan, star Hugh Jackman is confident that the character will return some day.

While speaking on the weekly program Sunday Today, the actor reaffirmed that Wolverine will return some day soon, but that fans shouldn’t expect to see his familiar face in the role.

“Oh, Wolverine will be back,” he said to interviewer Willie Geist. “Someone’s going to buy him, I don’t know.”

“Not you though,” Geist replied, prompting a humorous exchange.

“No, but Ryan [Reynolds] is relentless,” Jackman said, addressing Reynolds’ constant requests to get Jackman to appear in a Deadpool and Wolverine collaboration.

Jackman has consistently refused to appear in the Deadpool movies, and the two have only ever appeared on screen in the widely-panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Reynolds has kept up the one-sided joke by having Deadpool staple a magazine cover of Jackman’s face to his own in the first movie, and featuring a “dead Wolverine” music box in Deadpool 2.

Jackman was previously asked about reprising the role in another Deadpool sequel if it were directed by Jason Reitman, who helmed Jackman’s latest film The Front Runner. But Jackman deflected and accused Yahoo! Entertainment of being a vessel for Ryan Reynolds.

“I love Jason Reitman, and I actually — for all I say — you know I love Ryan Reynolds,” Jackman said. “But right now Ryan, sorry buddy, you’re gonna have to work harder than that.”

To his own credit, Reynolds has recognized that Jackman’s time as Wolverine is likely done, but he won’t stop trying.

“I think convincing Hugh of that would be a near-impossible feat, but there’s no human being I love more than Hugh Jackman in that universe, and equally so as a friend. He’s just the best,” Reynolds told EW.

“I already miss him as Logan, so I’m one of those guys that whenever I see him, I’m like, ‘Come on, man. Just one more. Come on. We’ll do it together. It’ll be fun. Come on! On three. Here we go, together. One, two, three, together,’ and it’s always just me saying it.”

Jackman’s reference to the impending purchase of Fox by Disney means he understands that his iconic character will likely be recast. But until another actor is actually cast as Wolverine, fans (and Ryan Reynolds) will not stop clamoring for Jackman to return to the role.