Return of Iron-man and Wolverine?

Now that Hugh Jackman is returning in Deadpool 3, there are several Wolverine wishes the Marvel Cinematic Universe can make possible. For the entire time that Hugh Jackman played Wolverine in Fox's X-Men franchise, he did so without any real opportunity to be part of the MCU and experience the benefits that came with it. The surprising news that Wolverine is coming back in Deadpool 3 means that Hugh Jackman will get one more chance to play the Marvel superhero. Logan's ending killed Wolverine partly because the actor felt it was time to leave the role. However, Jackman maintained throughout it all that the one way he would consider returning would be as part of the MCU.

There are still a lot of details left unclear about Wolverine's Deadpool 3 return, but it being a Marvel Studios production opens up the sequel to have plenty of MCU connections. Since Jackman has long been protective of maintaining the impact of Logan's ending, his decision to come back is a good sign that Marvel Studios will make it worth his while. This could include finally allowing him to do some stuff that was previously off the table now that Wolverine is joining the MCU. Considering the multiverse and Deadpool's fourth wall breaks are in play, Deadpool 3 can satisfy just about every one of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine wishes that are currently unfulfilled.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Can Join The MCU In Deadpool 3

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The biggest piece of wish fulfillment that Hugh Jackman's Deadpool 3 return can make possible is his desire to play Wolverine in the MCU. The actor has repeatedly expressed interest in being part of the MCU and mixing it up with the Avengers. Jackman even went as far as to say in a 2017 interview with Screen Rant that he would not have retired from the role after Logan if joining the MCU was on the table. Little did he know that Disney would begin discussing acquiring 20th Century Fox just a few months later and give Marvel Studios the right to use Wolverine and other mutants. This now offers Deadpool 3 the opportunity to potentially pair Hugh Jackman up with the MCU's new Avengers in some fashion.

Jackman joining the MCU in Phase 5 is very different from if he appeared in Phase 2 or 3, as the roster of available heroes for Wolverine to interact with is entirely different. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are out of the picture, while newer characters like Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) are taking on significant roles. Some heroes Jackman thought his Wolverine could interact with might now be off the table, but Deadpool 3 could still make his dream of his mutant character interacting with the Avengers a reality.

Another wish that will be granted upon Hugh Jackman's Deadpool 3 return is a proper crossover between Wolverine and Deadpool. Jackman and Reynolds worked together on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the movie notoriously decided to stitch Wade Wilson's mouth closed and give him new powers. The experience pushed Ryan Reynolds to make a good Deadpool movie franchise, and both of the actors have long been interested in getting another crack at a Wolverine/Deadpool crossover. Jackman has been much more hesitant about it happening in recent years, but perhaps that was just him having fun in the press and trying to keep the secret. Deadpool 3 will now be where Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool get a proper encounter - and audiences can be sure to expect a high volume of X-Men Origins: Wolverine jokes from the Merc with a Mouth.

Wolverine Could Finally Meet Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man

Now that Hugh Jackman is joining the MCU, the longtime desire of his Wolverine meeting Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man cannot be ruled out as something that could happen. The actor's interest in fighting Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr. left Marvel goes back to 2013 while promoting The Wolverine where he told Screen Rant, "I would love to mix it up with Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man and kick his ass. It'd be great." The meet-up between Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. on the big screen would unite two of the most iconic portrayals of comic book characters in movie history. While it would seem that this is very difficult to do considering Avengers: Endgame killed Iron Man, Logan killed Wolverine only two years before. The fact that Hugh Jackman is returning reinforces the idea that no one is ever really dead in superhero movies. So if Wolverine can come back, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man could too for an epic crossover.

It does seem unlikely that Deadpool 3 is where Wolverine and Iron Man could meet, but nothing is truly off the table for the Deadpool franchise. However, the MCU has another excellent opportunity for this meeting. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine could return in Avengers: Secret Wars, and the multiverse movie has long been viewed as the most likely place for Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man to make one more appearance. Wolverine and Iron Man could be part of the multiversal team to fight Kang, giving Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. an improbable chance to share the screen in the MCU after Deadpool 3.