Hugh Jackman Returning as Wolverine After Saying ‘Ship Has Sailed’ on Role

Hugh Jackman will reportedly reprise his role as Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool 3. The news comes as a surprise for many fans since the actor had said he was done with the character after 2017’s Logan.

The announcement that Jackman is returning as the superhero came via actor Ryan Reynolds, who shared the news on his social media accounts while discussing his upcoming Deadpool film.

“I’ve had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special,” Reynolds said in the video. “We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every Deadpool needs to stand out and stand apart. It’s been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside. And I have nothing. Yeah, just completely empty up here. And terrifying. But we did have one idea. Hey, Hugh, you want to play Wolverine one more time?”

“Yeah, sure, Ryan,” Jackman answered as he entered the room.

Jackman first portrayed Wolverine in 20th Century Fox’s 2000 hit X-Men. He went on to play the clawed hero in the franchise’s sequels and prequels, as well as in Wolverine-centered spin-offs. His time with the role had originally culminated with Logan, which earned raves from many critics.

When news first broke in late 2017 after Logan’s release of Disney and Fox possibly merging and what that meant for a possible crossover between the X-Men franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jackman was asked about returning to Wolverine by Collider.

He answered that “every time I saw an Avengers movie, I could just see Wolverine in the middle of all of them, like punching them all on the head. But it was like, ‘Oh well, that’s not gonna happen,’ and it was interesting just when I first saw that headline—it was just the possibility of it, and who knows what’s gonna happen, obviously—I was like, ‘Hang on!’ But I think, unfortunately, the ship has sailed for me, but for someone else I would like to see Wolverine in there.”

In this photo, Hugh Jackman is seen at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 7 in Venice, Italy. Jackman is reportedly returned to the role of Wolverine after previously saying that he was retiring from the character. Photo by Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty Images

Before the Disney/Fox merger, Jackman had said during promotions for Logan that the film would be his final outing as Wolverine. He also made the claim years before the film’s release when he appeared on The Dr. Oz Show in May 2015 and spoke about closing the chapter on the character.

“This will be my last one. It is my last time. It just felt like it was the right time to do it. And let’s be honest: 17 years, I never thought in a million years it would last,” he said. “So, I’m so grateful to the fans for the opportunity of playing it. I kind of have in my head what we’re going to do in this last one. It just feels like the perfect way to go out.”

On Wednesday, Jackman appeared with Reynolds in another video shared on social media in which he addressed how Wolverine will fit into the timeline of Deadpool.

“I had a lot of questions. I’m sure you had a lot of questions, but rest assured, we’re going to answer them right now,” Jackman said in the clip. “Like, for example, how is Wolverine alive after Logan?”

“Logan takes place in 2029. Totally separate thing. Logan died in Logan. Not touching that,” Reynolds said. “What actually happens in our film is…”

Before more is revealed, Wham’s song “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” begins playing to drown out their conversation. The two mime fighting with Jackman pretending to stab Reynolds with nonexistent claws before the video wrapped with them both thanking Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

Newsweek reached out to Jackman for comment.