Wolverine star Hugh Jackman responds to rumors that Rocketman actor Taron Egerton is being considered for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's role of Wolverine. Jackman starred as the adamantium-clawed mutant for 17 years, starting with Fox's X-Men in 2000 and spanning all the way until Logan in 2017. After his retirement of the role following the death of the character in his final appearance, Jackman announced last year that he would be returning opposite Ryan Reynolds for Deadpool 3 which will see the franchise transition into the MCU.
Wolverine's return in Deadpool 3 as part of their March 2023 issue. He was questioned about the prospect of his Eddie the Eagle co-star succeeding him as the next Wolverine. Jackman has become synonymous with the role over the years, and is one of the most iconic, instantly recognizable live-action superhero performances of all time, so his somewhat defensive but light-hearted response is understandable:
Taron is one of the most talented actors out there. And you can see his range is incredible. But he's just got to cool his heels a little bit.
Everything We Know About Jackman's Wolverine Return In Deadpool 3
Though plot specifics are being kept heavily under wraps in true Marvel fashion, Jackman has teased much about what to expect in the coming confrontation between Wolverine and the Merc with a Mouth, noting that Wolverine's character arc is different from anything he's done before in the role. Considering Deadpool 3 will be the first venture into the MCU for both characters, they will be in completely new territory. A vitriolic but humorous rivalry has been teased by both Jackman and Reynolds, who share a bitterly playful relationship themselves, with Jackman recently jokingly lamenting the possibility of an Oscar nomination for Best Song for Reynolds as part of Spirited. Wolverine's appearances in the X-Men films have mostly been gritty and serious, so his coming appearance in the sardonic, theatrical Deadpool franchise is bound to veer his character in a new direction.
One thing audiences will be cautious of is whether this Wolverine appearance will affect the X-Men storyline, which ended boldly in Logan with Wolverine's eventual death at the hands of X-24. Many viewers would see altering this ending as disrespectful to the character and his final film, but thankfully, Jackman and Reynolds have already made it clear that they have avoided doing so for that very reason. With the Multiverse Saga well underway, many viewers had presumed that the Wolverine appearing in Deadpool 3 would be a variant, as shown in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for instance. However, Jackman has since clarified that the film will take place at a point in Wolverine's timeline before Logan, suggesting it is indeed the same version of the character from the Fox Universe.
It is currently unknown whether Deadpool 3 will be Jackman's final appearance as Logan, but audiences will be hoping that Jackman will finally be able to wear a comic-accurate Wolverine costume, which somehow evaded the on-screen character across his 17 years of appearances. There is plenty of speculation circulating that the Multiverse Saga's conclusion, Avengers: Secret Wars, will introduce myriad Marvel Legacy heroes, of which Wolverine could be one. However, there are reports that Taron Egerton has spoken with Kevin Feige and publicly expressed interest in the role, and with the MCU inching ever closer to the introduction of the X-Men, Jackman may well be ing the baton to Earth-616's own Wolverine.
Source: Empire Magazine
