Hugh Jackman will officially reprise his role as Wolverine in the blockbuster Deadpool 3. This has been one of the most discussed topics in the film industry following the significant announcements made in 2022. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Deadpool 3 is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which means this will likely be the official introduction of Logan, the Wolverine, into the largest superhero film franchise in the world today.
However, prior to this announcement, even before Hugh Jackman confirmed his involvement, the MCU had been quite secretive about details that would lead to the most prominent character in Marvel’s history. In other words, Marvel Studios has been meticulously preparing and has too many potential storylines in hand to properly integrate Wolverine’s character in the near future.
The Super Soldier Serum of Captain America is closely related to Wolverine
If you are not a die-hard fan of Marvel comics, you might not know that there is a “hidden” connection between Captain America: The First Avenger and Wolverine’s origin story. In the comics, Logan was subjected to adamantium bonding in his body through a top-secret experiment called Weapon X conducted by the government. This was actually step 10 in a larger program called Weapon Plus.
The first step of Weapon Plus was Project: Rebirth, which transformed Steve Rogers from a frail young man into a super soldier through a special serum. In other words, the experiment that turned Logan into Wolverine was a significant upgrade, or even a breakdown, from the program that created Captain America back in the 1940s.
Through the series The Falcon & the Winter Soldier, we learned that there are plans to “produce a variety” of super soldiers not just limited to Steve Rogers. Therefore, this could be the basis for Marvel Studios to develop Wolverine’s origin story within the MCU, without straying too far from the original source material, while still closely tying to the shared storyline of this cinematic universe.
The City of Madripoor
The city of Madripoor was officially introduced in the MCU through the series The Falcon & the Winter Soldier. In the comics, it is one of the most notable locations frequently associated with the X-Men, especially Wolverine. The Wolverine often visits Madripoor to drink and sometimes to “exchange information” with various local criminal figures.
More specifically, Wolverine spends a lot of time in a bar called the Princess Bar – which appeared in episode 3 of The Falcon & the Winter Soldier. In reality, when this episode aired, many fans speculated that Marvel Studios was “laying the groundwork” for the return of the X-Men in the near future. At that time, Disney had completed its acquisition of Fox, allowing Marvel to exploit its character roster at any moment. If Wolverine has been existing in the MCU for a long time but decides to “stay hidden” instead of showing up to fight alongside the Avengers, Madripoor could very well be the place he chooses.
The Fox X-Men Universe
Marvel Studios has made significant progress in bringing Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the MCU through the blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With the return of Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor X, the studio has subtly confirmed that the X-Men films from Fox are a reality within the MCU. If Wolverine and other characters do not exist in Earth-616, the primary timeline of this cinematic universe, Marvel Studios could entirely “jump” to another reality, explaining the complexities such as: the X-Men have been hidden during the numerous events that occurred throughout the multiverse?
Moreover, the return of Professor X also opens the door for the return of many characters from the previous X-Men films. This will help Marvel Studios not to spend too much time exploring the origin stories and powers of these characters, while still being able to continue developing future storylines within the shared universe of the MCU.
Mutants in the MCU
If Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirms the existence of mutants in the Marvel cinematic universe, then the series Ms. Marvel is even more explosive as it hints at the existence of “mutants” in the last episode of the first season. In a conversation with Kamala Khan, Bruno Carrelli explains that her superpowers are not derived from external factors but are activated by “latent” elements embedded deep within Kamala’s genes. As a result, Ms. Marvel becomes the first official mutant in the MCU, even though many other mutants may have existed before or may appear later.
This could be considered one of the most solid foundations for the integration of the X-Men, and Marvel Studios will not have to spend too much effort to explain the strong origins of these characters. Additionally, Marvel has also confirmed Namor – the ruler of the underwater nation of Talokan in the blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who is also a mutant in the comics.
Wolverine in the She-Hulk series
As mentioned above, Marvel Studios could indeed bring Hugh Jackman’s version of Wolverine into the MCU through the film universe, and this character may exist in a different reality. However, the series She-Hulk has shown that Logan, or at least a variant of him, exists in Earth-616.
Specifically, in episode 2, if you pay close attention, you may notice a news article on Jennifer Walter’s computer screen. In that article, on the right-hand side, there is a headline saying “Man Fights With Metal Claws in Bar Brawl“, with the summary: “A person named Logan uses metal claws to fight in a bar brawl“. Any fan would recognize that the metal claws are a distinctive feature representing Wolverine in both comic and film adaptations. Therefore, this could very well be an Easter egg that Marvel has cleverly inserted into She-Hulk to lay the groundwork for Logan’s arrival in its cinematic universe.
The Official Introduction of Wolverine
Deadpool 3 will officially introduce the legendary character Wade Winston Wilson into the MCU, along with the arrival of Logan – Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will both reprise their roles to continue exploring these two iconic characters. This indicates that there is a strong possibility that Deadpool and Wolverine will enter a different reality within the larger Marvel universe.
Hugh Jackman has also hinted that Marvel may utilize the time travel concept to bring the Wolverine character into the MCU. Furthermore, Deadpool 3 will take place before the events that occur in Logan. Therefore, what happens in this film will not affect the tragic fate set for Wolverine by 20th Century Studios six years ago. However, it also indicates that Hugh Jackman is likely to only return to this role in Deadpool 3 and not have a long-term association with the MCU.
At the end of 2022, director Shawn Levy confirmed that Deadpool 3 will officially begin filming in May this year and will maintain its original mission of being the first R-rated (restricted to audiences over 17 years old) installment from Marvel Studios. Deadpool 3 is set to be released on November 8, 2024.
Source: Marvel Studios, ScreenRant
