Deadpool & Wolverine was a record-breaking $1 billion hit when it opened last summer, but Marvel Studios has not confirmed future plans for either of the titular heroes. All Kevin Feige has said is that there have been “discussions,” and fans are waiting to learn when they’ll get to see the dynamic mutant duo again. Rumors persist Ryan Reynolds will reprise Deadpool in Avengers: Doomsday, a movie that will have a significant X-Men presence. Questions remain about Jackman’s potential involvement in that film, but the latest bit of Marvel speculation sheds some light on what the actor’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be.
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According to a report from insider Daniel Richtman (via Superhero Hype), Jackman’s Wolverine could be part of the MCU for the foreseeable future. Apparently, the idea is to have Jackman appear in “more projects even after [Avengers: Secret Wars],” which means the actor could help the MCU usher in a new era after the Multiverse Saga concludes. Interestingly, it’s expected that one of the first Marvel movies after Secret Wars will be the X-Men reboot.
Will Hugh Jackman Be In Marvel’s X-Men Reboot?
The notion of Jackman returning in Avengers: Secret Wars isn’t all that surprising. After all, that film is rumored to have cameos from a plethora of Marvel heroes, leading some fans to dream of a meeting between Jackman’s Wolverine and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. What’s more interesting is that — assuming these rumors are true — Marvel intends to keep Jackman around into the next MCU saga. No official casting announcements for the X-Men reboot have been made, but it’s been said director Jake Schreier and Co. are targeting younger, unknown actors as a way of keeping production costs down. After several Fox X-Men veterans get a send off in Doomsday and Secret Wars, going with a fresh cast for the reboot would give those characters a new start.
At the same time, having Jackman carry over makes sense from a certain point of view. His new variant of Wolverine is already established in the MCU, further cementing Jackman as the definitive on-screen Wolverine. There have been multiple actors who have played iconic superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, but Jackman has been the one and only Wolverine for so long that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see anyone else in the role. Rather than burden an unknown actor with the thankless task of following Jackman’s footsteps (nobody wants to be the guy who comes after The Guy), Marvel could opt to keep Jackman around for as long as he wants to stay.
If this pans out, Jackman’s Wolverine could slide into a mentorship role and help guide a new generation of mutants. That could be an emotionally satisfying way to continue his character development from Deadpool & Wolverine. When audiences met this new iteration of Wolverine, he was haunted by his past failures and reluctant to be a hero again. After his experiences, he’s now embracing being a part of something and would be a valuable teacher for the younger mutants. Jackman is still in phenomenal shape, so he’d definitely be able to handle action sequences in the X-Men reboot.
Of course, Jackman is in his late 50s, and as much as he loves playing Wolverine, he likely doesn’t really want to keep doing it until he’s 90. Marvel should have some kind of succession plan in place so the torch can eventually be passed. Fortunately, Deadpool & Wolverine offered a solution that wouldn’t involve any recasting. Logan standout Dafne Keen returned as Laura/X-23 in that film, once again proving she has what it takes to fill the Wolverine role on a new X-Men team. Keen doesn’t know what her Marvel future will be, but making her a more permanent part of the MCU could be for the best for everyone involved.
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