The following contains spoilers for James Mangold’s magnificent Logan. If you haven’t yet seen that movie, back out now… and go watch Logan!
Later this summer, director James Mangold will continue, and we assume conclude, the ongoing Indiana Jones saga with the fifth feature, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We know a great deal about the upcoming sequel already, and a new trailer dropped that you can find online. But there’s another series that Mangold concluded that was top of mind when we got the opportunity to speak with him at Star Wars Celebration 2023, and that’s Logan. That 2017 movie was meant to be Hugh Jackman’s final go as the razor-handed mutant. Yet, now we know that Jackman will return to the role to star opposite close friend Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool 3. What did Mangold tell Jackman when he heard the news? We asked him:
It’s nice to hear that, at the very least, James Mangold is on board with Hugh Jackman’s choice to put the claws back on and reprise the role of Logan for a Deadpool movie. It couldn’t have been an easy decision to submerge back into the preparation for the role of Wolvie. Jackman has to go through intense physical training to look the part, and talked openly during the Logan press tour that he will not miss the rigorous exercise and strict diet that comes with bringing Wolverine to life on screen.
And from Mangold’s point of view, it has to be strange to hear that Jackman is going back to the role. Because the duo spent years crafting a worthy finale for the actor and the part, and Logan was a critical and commercial smash. Most thought it was the proper sendoff that the character and the star deserved. I think about this scene often.
However, Ryan Reynolds must have had the right idea to lure Hugh Jackman out of retirement. And the duo have said that whatever happens in Deadpool 3 will take place prior to the events of Logan. So they’re not necessarily messing with any timeline. Though, as Deadpool 2 proved, the fast-talking hero isn’t overly concerned with continuity. They’re just continuing to build on the hilarious friendship that has entertained them (and us) for decades.
Mangold won’t be involved with Deadpool 3. That gig has gone to Free Guy director Shawn Levy. But as was revealed at Star Wars Celebration, Mangold will transition into the Star Wars universe with a story set 25,000 years before the prequel trilogy, tracing the origin of The Force and the dawn of the Jedi. Keep track of that project and all upcoming Star Wars movies by following our guide, which we update often.
