Hugh Jackman Teases He’ll Play Multiple Wolverine Variants in Deadpool 3

He’s the best there is at what he does, bub — and what Hugh Jackman does is play more than one Wolverine. After starring with Ryan Reynolds in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine — and later retiring the role in 2017’s Logan — the longtime X-Men star will re-team with Reynolds in Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3. The as-yet-untitled Deadpool sequel is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, which saw Jackman’s franchise co-star Patrick Stewart reprise the Professor X role as a multiversal variant in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

In a new interview with France’s La Parisien, Jackman described his Marvel return as a “dual role,” suggesting a Wolverine variant. He previously played the ex-X-Man and his feral clone, named X-24, in Logan.

“Ryan and I have been friends for twenty years; we have a lot of fun together. We are filming this summer,” Jackman said. “That’s why I’m so happy to be in Paris right now and to be able to enjoy French gastronomy. Because very soon, I’m going to have to put myself on a strict diet to remake my Wolverine body: steamed chicken and broccoli!”

In a previous appearance on the Empire Film Podcast, Jackman revealed Wolverine and Deadpool’s dynamic: hate. 

“How do I categorize it? Ten being really close, zero being the reality, we’re zero. We’re opposites, hate each other,” Jackman teased. “I’m just talking from my perspective. [Logan’s] frustrated by him, wants to be a million miles away from him or wants to punch him in the head. Unfortunately, he can’t be a million miles away from him in this movie, so I’m probably going to punch him in the head a lot.”

As for how Wolverine returns despite dying in Logan, Jackman said on The Jess Cagle Show that it’s “because of this device they have in the Marvel world of moving around timelines.” 

“Now we can go back because, you know, it’s science. So I don’t have to screw with the Logan timeline,” Jackman explained, “which was important to me. And I think probably to the fans, too.”

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the first two Deadpool films, returned to write the threequel from MCU producer Kevin Feige and director Shawn Levy (Reynolds’ Free Guy, Jackman’s Real Steel.) Marvel Studios’ Deadpool 3 is scheduled to open in theaters on November 8th, 2024.