Entertainment

That Superhero Cameo In The 'Deadpool 2' Post-Credits Scene Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does

20th Century Fox

Spoilers ahead. If there's one X-Men everybody loves, it's Wolverine. The angry, clawed superhero, as played by Hugh Jackman, was the linchpin of the on-screen X-Men universe for almost two decades — until he died in 2017's Logan. At the time of that film's release, Jackman swore that he was done playing Wolverine for good, but some fans still wonder, is Logan alive? The Deadpool 2 post-credits scene features both Logan and time travel, and seeing Wolverine on the big screen will make many viewers question if the hero's fate in Logan was as permanent as it seemed.

In the Deadpool 2 post-credits sequence, Deadpool uses Cable's time-traveling technology to take him back in time and change some crucial events. He saves his one true love form being shot and killed, brings back a member of the X-Force, and even shoots a young and eager Ryan Reynolds in the head to keep him from committing to Green Lantern (arguably the biggest stain on the actor's career). He also crashes a scene from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in which a younger Wolverine, featuring sideburns and his trademark hairdo, stands face to face with a modified Wade Wilson, who has black markings on his body and a mouth sown shut. "Wade, is that you?" he says. Deadpool enters the scene and shoots Wade in the head, telling Wolverine that he's "cleaning up the timeline."

For those fans of Deadpool who haven't seen 2009's Wolverine, this scene could seem like a Wolverine return to life. But, alas, Logan is still dead in Deadpool 2, as the footage in this scene is taken from Wolverine, and it's really more of a joke for longtime X-Men fans than a way of bringing Wolverine back for good. After all, the scene's purpose is to get rid of the conflicting Deadpool origin stories already on screen, since Deadpool appeared in that X-men film as a very different version of the character long before his own franchise began. Reversing the events of Logan and reviving Wolverine would just add another inconsistency to the X-Men universe.

In fact, Logan's shocking death in Logan is one of the very first pop culture references in Deadpool 2. Even before the movie was released, it was trading off of Wolverine's death. Early trailers also joked about Logan dying, and a poster for Deadpool 2 released in early May declared that it was "From the studio that killed Wolverine" (as seen above). Taking the bit even further, the movie opens with Deadpool promising to one-up Logan by dying himself. Wolverine might not be alive in Deadpool 2, but Logan's presence is definitely felt.

And just because Logan is still dead doesn't mean fans should lose hope for a potential Hugh Jackman cameo in the expected Deadpool 3. The actor has been more than game to engage in a public back and forth with Reynolds about doing a guest appearance. "Ryan, I love you man. I loved Deadpool, I can't wait to see the movie. You're one of my best friends," Jackman said during a recent appearance at Good Morning America. "But, back it up a little. It's just, play it — right? — play a little hard to get. It's too much, it's not sexy."

Jackman might enjoy playing hard to get, but he's also been crucial to the press leading up to the sequel's release. He even participated in a funny Twitter video with Deadpool himself, featuring the singing of not one, but two songs — "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie and the Baha Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out."

Just one week before the release of Deadpool 2, Jackman posted a jokingly reluctant review on his official social media accounts. "I'm gonna say this once, and then delete it really quickly. Deadpool 2 is a work of genius. It is epic," Jackman shared in an Instagram video on May 11.

Logan/Wolverine hasn't been brought back to life — not yet. But, who knows, perhaps the promise of a potential Deadpool 3 will be enough sway Jackman into putting the claws back on.