Hugh Jackman might be the MCU’s main Wolverine going forward
Before the premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine, I had expected to see Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) again in a future film after Deadpool 3, anticipating the story that Ryan Reynolds and his team had created.
Deadpool is officially becoming part of the MCU, but Marvel will likely do everything it can to have Wolverine meet the main Avengers in at least one future Avengers movie. *Secret Wars* seems like the most likely option, as it’s expected to feature the Avengers assembling, with many recognizable faces from across the multiverse.
I expected Marvel to introduce the MCU’s main Wolverine sometime after Secret Wars, once mutants from this reality are introduced.
Over a month after the movie’s release, a Marvel insider revealed that *Deadpool & Wolverine* may have introduced the MCU’s main Wolverine—and it’s exactly who fans were hoping for. Some spoilers for *Deadpool & Wolverine* and the MCU follow.
During the movie, Wade jokes that Disney will have Jackman playing Wolverine until he’s 90, and this joke resurfaces toward the end of the film. Jackman even poked fun at it on social media after the premiere.
Jackman portrayed most of the Wolverine versions seen in the film. At one point, Deadpool briefly traveled the multiverse searching for a replacement for the Wolverine who died in *Logan*, encountering various prospects, some of whom excitingly declined. One Wolverine I’m especially eager to see again is Henry Cavill’s variant.
However, Jackman’s Wolverine remains my favorite, without a doubt. If Marvel insider Daniel Richtman is right, Marvel could keep Jackman’s Wolverine in the MCU for several more years.
According to the leaker, Marvel is aiming to assemble a team of mutants for the X-Men reboot that resembles the *X-Men 97* lineup. They aren’t searching for a new Wolverine, as it seems Jackman will continue in the role even after *Secret Wars*.
It’s worth noting that the Wolverine in *Deadpool 3* isn’t the same hero we’re familiar with. This version of Logan has begun redeeming himself, but he’ll need to do much more to make up for his past mistakes. *Secret Wars* could be just the beginning of that journey.
I’d also like to remind you that the TVA allowed this version of Wolverine to remain in Deadpool’s universe, which feels like a plot hole since that universe should already have its own Wolverine, who dies in *Logan* years later. This could be how this Wolverine eventually ends up in the MCU’s main universe.
Having followed MCU rumors for a while, I recall leaks suggesting that Marvel might close the multiverse after *Secret Wars*. Given everything that’s happened in Phases 4 and 5, that seems like the logical direction.
The multiverse is fantastic because it enables stories like *Avengers: Endgame*, *Loki*, *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*, *Spider-Man: No Way Home*, *Deadpool & Wolverine*, *Avengers: Doomsday*, and *Avengers: Secret Wars* to unfold.
The multiverse offers access to all kinds of superheroes, including alternate versions of ones who have died. But it also lowers the stakes—if a beloved hero dies, they can simply be replaced by a variant.
Additionally, Earth-616 doesn’t yet have the mutants from the Fox Marvel universe, so Marvel needs to figure out how to bring them into the MCU.
One possibility is that Marvel could merge multiple realities into a single timeline after *Secret Wars*. This would explain how mutants suddenly appear in the MCU and allow Wolverine to continue his X-Men adventures, fulfilling the “till you’re 90” joke from *Deadpool 3*.
All of this is speculation, as Marvel is far from announcing the MCU’s X-Men actors. However, I do want to see more of Jackman’s Logan in the MCU, and I hope Richtman’s information is accurate.
