Marvel Leader Nearly Stopped Deadpool & Wolverine From Happening
By now, you’re no doubt experiencing the hype surrounding the upcoming release of Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which is on pace to premiere in theaters on July 26. One of the most exciting contributing factors to the marketing surrounding the film is the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, though, according to a write-up in Gizmodo, this was almost not the case. Apparently, Kevin Feige attempted to block Hugh Jackman from joining the project, fearing that it would undo the emotional resonance of 2017’s Logan.
Feige Tried To Convince Jackman It Was A Bad Idea
Per a recent interview, Kevin Feige specifically stated “You had the greatest ending in history with Logan. That’s not something we should undo,” in regard to Jackman appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine. The Greatest Showman actor marinated on this argument, before ultimately concluding that he’d like to do the movie anyway.
Feige Wasn’t The Only One Worried
While fans everywhere are likely overjoyed that Jackman didn’t take Feige’s advice, this was a common sentiment shared by a number of fans in the early days of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s announcement. Logan was such a perfect send-off for Hugh Jackman’s character that it’s genuinely difficult for many fans to imagine bringing that character back into the fold for another outing. Before footage of the film arrived online, some feared that this would be like undermining the death of Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame just to turn the character into a punchline in Avengers 5.
Jackman Was Convinced
Luckily, all the marketing and trailer footage for Deadpool & Wolverine so far points to the film not only doing Wolverine justice, but reinvigorating the MCU, as the franchise has seen diminishing returns in their latest outings. Kevin Feige has historically been way ahead of the curve on casting decisions such as this, as the self-described “super nerd” has been solely responsible for some of the best ideas in the MCU over the last two decades. Still, as Hugh Jackman explained in a recent interview, sometimes it’s best to just go with your gut.
Specifically, Jackman described driving home from the original pitch meeting for the film while pondering his position, stating “I wanted to do Deadpool & Wolverine. I just knew it… Couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I got out of the car, called Ryan, and said, ‘Ryan, if you’ll have me, I’m in.’” This was obviously a no-brainer for Ryan Reynolds, as the Deadpool actor has been lobbying to appear alongside Wolverine for well over a decade now.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Back in 2009, Ryan Reynolds portrayed Deadpool on the big screen for the very first time in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. As many fans recall, this iteration of Deadpool was rife with studio interference which all but ruined the character, removing many trademark elements of Wade Wilson, including his ability to speak. Now that Reynolds essentially has more control over the Deadpool franchise, it only makes sense that he would try to take a mulligan on Deadpool & Wolverine sharing the screen together.
We’ll Soon Learn If It Was A Bad Idea
Still, it’s worth remembering that Jackman’s Deadpool & Wolverine iteration of the clawed mutant is not necessarily the same one who concludes his arc in Logan. By now the Fox and Marvel multiverses have done such a good job bungling continuity that audiences could easily accept Jackman as one of a million versions of the character from across the multiverse.
For now, there’s no way to know for sure if this film will top Logan as a send-off for the character. We’ll find out soon enough, when Deadpool & Wolverine premieres in theaters this July.
