In a surprising revelation, Hugh Jackman has admitted that his decision to reprise his iconic role as Wolverine for the highly anticipated Marvel film, Deadpool and Wolverine, was a spontaneous one – so much so that he committed to the project before even informing his agent.
Speaking alongside co-star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy, Jackman candidly recounted the moment when the idea to reunite Wolverine and Deadpool on the big screen struck him like a “bolt of lightning.” Despite previously stating that his role in Logan would be his last as the adamantium-clawed mutant, the 54-year-old actor couldn’t shake the feeling that these two characters were destined to share the screen once more.
“I swear to you, when I said I was done, I really thought I was done,” Jackman confessed. “But in the back of my head, ever since I saw [the first] Deadpool, I was like, ‘Those two characters together.’ I knew it, I knew the fans wanted it ever since I put on the claws, people talked about these two. So, that had always been there, but I just knew.”
Driven by this gut instinct, Jackman wasted no time in reaching out to Reynolds, his former co-star from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. “I rang Ryan. And I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Like, I hadn’t rung my agent, no one. I had to ring my agent and said, ‘Oh, by the way, I have just committed to a movie.'”
Jackman’s decision to bypass his representation and commit to the project without consultation was a testament to his unwavering belief in the potential of Deadpool and Wolverine’s on-screen reunion. It was a move that even caught Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige off guard initially, as he had cautioned Jackman against undoing the powerful conclusion of Logan.
However, Feige’s concerns were assuaged when it became clear that Jackman would not be portraying the same iteration of Logan/Wolverine from the X-Men films. Instead, Deadpool and Wolverine will explore a different facet of the character, as Jackman himself teased, “different sides of Wolverine we haven’t seen before in the movies.”
With Jackman’s spontaneous commitment and Reynolds’ enthusiasm for the project, Deadpool and Wolverine promises to be a unique and highly anticipated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showcasing the chemistry between two beloved characters and the willingness of the actors to bring their shared vision to life.
