While it appears as though Marvel fanboys and fangirls alike are stoked to see the Deadpool and Wolverine crossover finally come to fruition, James Mangold, who directed what was previously thought to be Hugh Jackman's final performance as Wolverine in Logan, may not be too excited about the matter.
After Ryan Reynolds had revealed that Jackman would be returning to play the Wolverine again for the upcoming Deadpool 3, Mangold took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the matter in a rather gruesome fashion. That said, he later clarified that it was not to voice any disappointment.
Originally, Mangold tweeted out a GIF of Jackman's Wolverine having his upper body punctured after his clone X-24 smashed him through a tree branch, seemingly indicating his discontent with the fact that Jackman was planning to come back as Wolverine. However, he followed that up with a tweet clarifying that he was only kidding. "Oh my gosh! Everybody chill. Just kidding! I’m all good! LOGAN will always be there. Multiverse or prequel, time warp or wormhole, canon or non-canon or even without a rationale, I cannot wait to see what maddness my dear friends (Ryan Reynolds) and (Hugh Jackman) cook up!"
The timing of Mangold's first tweet makes it seem a little suspicious that it was supposedly a joke. Any artist who made one of the best superhero movies ever like Mangold did with Logan would be understandably upset that his work could potentially get tarnished now that Jackman is coming back in what is presumably going to be another comedic superhero movie like Deadpool 3. However, it's very likely that Deadpool 3 wouldn't do anything to mess with what Mangold had created with Logan. It was one of the rare sendoffs to such a beloved character as Wolverine, especially since Jackman's portrayal of him played a huge role in how immensely popular superhero movies are today.
However, what makes it harder is knowing that not only will Jackman's Wolverine be involved in Deadpool 3, but this could also mean he will potentially be involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that all Marvel characters previously owned by Fox are now owned by Disney. If Jackman's Wolverine is planning on being more involved in the MCU, it would, in fact, tarnish everything that Logan masterfully portrayed when it came out five years ago. They say you should let good die. In Hollywood, that hardly happens, but Logan tried.
Is it possible for Marvel Studios to have its cake and eat it in this case? That's probably what fans are hoping for. Jackman gave it his all from start to finish as Wolverine. It would be great to see him interact not just with Deadpool, but also with other Marvel characters in the near future. At the same time, his death was so perfectly handled that fans are probably also hoping that it all aligns with Wolverine's fate chronologically in 2029. It's exciting to have Jackman back, but Marvel Studios has to tread carefully here.
Deadpool 3 is slated for release on September 6, 2024.
Source: James Mangold/Twitter