The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters is Deadpool & Wolverine, and excitement for the blockbuster is sky high. But it turns out Marvel was apparently about to give up on the idea of Deadpool 3 when Hugh Jackman got involved.
What we know about Deadpool & Wolverine is super limited, which has actually helped increase fan excitement about the forthcoming blockbuster. Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine helped make it the most anticipated MCU movie coming to theaters this year, and it sounds like he signed on to the project at exactly the right time. During an interview with Variety, director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds revealed that development had hit a snag before the Greatest Showman actor joined the fun. As they put it:
- Shawn Levy: We had been trying to craft a story for several months. We had some interesting approaches, but it never gelled. Literally within a day of Hugh joining this story, we knew what the movie was.
- Ryan Reynolds: We had a why. When Hugh called, Shawn and I were on our last pitch. Right before, we were like, 'We’ll do the Zoom with Marvel, and if they don’t bite on this pitch that we have, we’ll stand down.'
- Shawn Levy: We got on Zoom with Feige, and he’s like, 'Look, we’re not quite cracking it.' We were able to say, 'Actually, a new wrinkle: What would you say to the Wolverine?'
There you have it. While Deadpool 3 seemed like a sure thing after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, it took Hugh Jackman's return to Logan to help really get the project off its feet. And from the look of Deadpool & Wolverine's trailers, it's going to be a fun ride with him back in the claws.
From all of the limited footage we've seen from the forthcoming blockbuster, it looks like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's faux feud will be on full display for the third Deadpool flick. So it should be no surprise that that duo helped to get Deadpool & Wolverine off the ground at the studio.
While fans are definitely eager to see Wade Wilson and Logan's relationship play out on the big screen, there are countless fan theories and rumors about who else might make up the Deadpool 3 cast list. Some popular names being tossed around online include Halle Berry's Storm, Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, and Patrick Stewart's Professor X. Then there's other rumored characters like Jennifer Garner's Elektra and Taylor Swift's Dazzler that are also in the conversation.
Luckily, all of our questions will be revealed shortly when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26th. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
