Before Deadpool become a surprise box office smash, outgrossing every other X-Men film in existence in its first weekend, the X-Men's biggest star was Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman in all five previous X-Men movies, as well as in two solo Wolverine outings. In fact, Deadpool is the first film in Fox's X-Men universe in which Jackman doesn't appear in the flesh. He is, however, constantly referenced by Deadpool in the film, who comments on everything from Jackman being named People's sexiest man alive to what the Aussie actor has between his legs. So now with a Deadpool sequel officially on the way, fans are wondering if Hugh Jackman will be in Deadpool 2 . So will he?
So far, Jackman has announced that he plans to hang up his claws and retire after Wolverine 3 , which is currently set for release on March 3, 2017. It's unknown if he'll have a cameo in the already overstuffed X-Men: Apocalypse, due out this May 27, but if he does sit that one out, it will mark his first time not appearing in a true X-Men film ( Deadpool , while part of the same universe, isn't a true X-Men film), showing that the franchise really can live on without him. So it would seem pretty cut and dry that Jackman is not going to go back on his word and return as Wolverine after March 3, 2017.
Except there's still a slim chance that he might. Reynolds and Jackman are buddies in real life, and they appeared together as Deadpool and Wolverine in the universally-panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was loathed by fans and critics alike. With Deadpool now earning very impressive reviews, Jackman may view the sequel as an opportunity to get the Wolverine/Deadpool combo right on screen. After all, the two characters are highly connected in the comics, with both of them being products of the Weapon X program and both possessing the same accelerated healing factor. They're also two of the only heroes in the X-Men universe that don't hesitate to kill their enemies, putting them in an exclusive club.
Jackman also recently addressed the possibility of appearing as Wolverine in Deadpool 's sequel while at Sundance just a few weeks ago. When asked about it, he told Yahoo, "I’ve never thought about it till now, but doing something with Ryan – he’s awesome – that’s always attractive to me. But I think you’ve probably got several other people lined up to play [Wolverine]." So by the sound of it, he would be interested, but Fox may already be recruiting a new Wolverine to start their rebuilding process.
As of right now, the odds of Hugh Jackman showing up as Wolverine in Deadpool 2 don't look great, but there is another option: What if he cameos as himself? That kind of meta-reference is right up Deadpool's alley, and could be a great way for Jackman to appear in the film without going back on his word of retiring as Wolverine. So think about it, Jackman, because this could be a perfect way to truly end your illustrious run in the X-Men franchise.
Images: 20th Century Fox; giphy.com
