2017’s Logan was as fine a send-off as a character can get. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was one of the best things about Fox’s X-Universe, but until then had never gotten the story he deserved. He was great as part of an ensemble in efforts like X2: X-Men United and Days of Future Past, but his solo outings stunk up the place pretty bad. Logan did him justice, though, so much so that many fans don’t want him to go.
Well, leaker Mikey Sutton is now claiming that Disney and Marvel Studios are among those fans and are desperate to get Jackman back in the MCU. The story goes that he first told them a flat “no,” pointing out that he died in Logan and that resurrecting him would cheapen the movie. Marvel Studios’ response was that this isn’t the same Wolverine, as it’d be one from an alternative Earth somewhere in the multiverse. Jackman was apparently somewhat convinced by this, but still needs to see a script before committing to anything.
My position is that all this is extremely wishful thinking. After all, the actor has been repeatedly asked about returning and hasn’t wavered from his stance that a comeback would spoil the ending of Logan. In addition, at 52 I doubt he wants to stay in the ludicrously good shape he maintained for those movies forever.
But beyond that, it doesn’t make financial or contractual sense for Marvel Studios and Disney to bring him back. Avengers: Endgame saw a shedding of their most expensive talent, with MCU A-listers like Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson commanding impressive wages as they came to the end of long contracts. Audiences don’t need a big actor to get excited about the mutant, so it’s much more likely that the studio will choose a lesser-known star that they can lock into a long multi-movie contract.
In any case, if Jackman was to ever reprise Wolverine, my bet is that it’d be in a very brief cameo in a Deadpool pic. Still, as much as I liked him, it may be time for fans to accept that he’s hung up his claws for good.
