Hugh Jackman to reprise Wolverine role one more time, make MCU debut in 'Deadpool 3'

So Hugh Jackman isn’t done playing Wolverine after all.

Jackman’s best frenemy Ryan Reynolds dropped a news bomb on fans Tuesday, sharing a video on social media explaining why his highly anticipated sequel Deadpool 3 didn’t have a presence at Disney’s recent D23 Expo in Anaheim. Once Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, fans began the countdown until Deadpool and his fellow X-Men mutants would inevitably join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while MCU overlord Kevin Feige did confirm that Matt Shakman would helm another former Fox property making its way into the MCU, Fantastic Four, there was no word about Deadpool's debut, disappointing the fandom.

After explaining the challenges that have come with re-imagining Deadpool in the MCU (shameless Aviation Gin product placement and gratuitous toilet shots included), Reynolds admitted that he had “nothing”… besides one idea.

“Hey, Hugh,” Reynolds begins as Jackman appears in the background, walking behind a couch. “You want to play Wolverine one more time?”

“Yeah, sure, Ryan,” Jackman casually replies as he heads up a flight of stairs. (Clearly these two were having a sleepover.)

With that gargantuan reveal out of the way, Reynolds also announced that Deadpool 3 would be “coming hughn” — or, more specifically, hitting theaters Sept. 6, 2024.

Jackman has played the sideburned, claw-handed mutant Wolverine in nine movies (including two uncredited cameos), beginning with 2000’s industry-altering superhero ensemble X-Men. It was widely believed that his role in James Mangold’s gritty 2017 Logan, in which the character died, would mark the Aussie actor’s swan song, with younger actors like Taron Egerton long-rumored to eventually reboot the role in the MCU.

Jackman is the latest former Fox mutant to make his way into the MCU. Patrick Stewart played an alternate version of Professor X in this year’s Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while Evan Peters played a fake-out Quicksilver in the Disney+ series WandaVision.

Reynolds and Jackman, who only co-starred together in 2009’s disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine — with the former playing a radically take on Wade Wilson (i.e., a mouthless version of the Merc with a Mouth, which Reynolds jokingly referred to in today's announcement, saying, “Hard keeping my mouth shut about this”) — felt they had the opportunity to make a much better product together with Deadpool 3.

It also confirms that despite their years of trolling one another in one of Hollywood’s funniest bromantic "feuds" (just see Reynolds slamming Jackman as “the Meh Showman,” among other disses, in our recent Kid Gloves interview), these two guys just really, really love one another.

Which is why we fully expect them to beat the crap out of each other in Deadpool 3.

Reynolds and Jackman continued the lovefest in a follow-up video that explained how exactly Wolvie is returning after meeting his maker in 2017's Logan. Well... kind of explained anyway. After stressing that Deadpool 3 in no way cancels out the events of James Mangold's much-loved film, the duo were about to reveal just how the timeline allowed for Logan and Deadpool to meet up when they were interrupted by the dulcet sounds of Wham!

As "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" played, Reynolds and Jackman animatedly acted out scenes from the yet-to-be-shot film, with big smiles on their faces. The music cut out just in time for them to thank Marvel Studios head honcho, Kevin Feige, who paved the way for Wolverine's entrance into the MCU.

Speaking of Logan, Mangold himself took to Twitter to comment on the news of Jackman's return with a clip from his own film. When said clip confused fans into thinking he was body-slamming his star, the Indiana Jones 5 director made his true intentions clear, writing: "I cannot wait to see what madness my dear friends cook up."

You know what they say: clear eyes, sharp claws... can't lose!

[This post has been updated to include Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's second viral video, and James Mangold's Twitter reaction.]

Deadpool 3 premieres in theaters Sept. 6, 2024