Fans Should Give Up Dreams of a Hugh Jackman/Ryan Reynolds Movie Team-Up

WARNING: The following article includes spoilers for Deadpool 2, in theaters now.

Burning up the worldwide box office, Deadpool 2 is packed with Easter eggs and surprise appearances by characters that have never been in an X-Men film or, at the very least, haven't been properly represented. But despite all the crowd-pleasing elements, the one thing many fans wanted to see didn't come to fruition, at least not in any impactful manner: Hugh Jackman. Specifically, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Look, we all wanted it to happen. Some of us felt we were even owed it after sitting through the last time Jackman was onscreen with Ryan Reynolds in the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But now that the dust has settled from Wade Wilson cutting up (literally and figuratively) in his second solo outing, it seems the dream of seeing Reynolds’ Deadpool and Jackman’s Wolverine share a film together is dead. And that’s OK.

After heaps of Reynolds’ pleas and jokes regarding Jackman once more donning the claws on social media, it became clear it was all in jest. As much as we wanted some sort of super-secret Wolverine appearance in Deadpool 2 (which we sort of got?) all the fanfare and promotion was not building to anything of substance. And while, yes, it was somewhat disappointing (but to be fair it is always dangerous to bring in certain expectations when watching any entry of a major franchise), it might be best for both the actors, and for the fractured X-Men film franchise.

Just the Facts …

Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Jackman isn’t getting any younger. That’s not to say he’s too old to step back into the role of Logan. In fact, the X-Men films never really seemed to too concerned with the ages or appearances of characters from movie to movie. Just take a peek at Jackman’s physique in 2000's X-Men, set around the same time as the film’s release date, compared to how he’s built in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is set 30 years before (and 20 years later).

But at nearly 50 years old (even though he looks a decade or so younger), maybe he’s just tired of having to maintain that hulking appearance. The guy sank nearly two decades into Wolverine, and while there were some ups and downs along the way, he redefined the character (especially in the height department). Coupled with being tired of living in a gym and eating cartons of eggs, maybe he simply feels as if he has said everything he can say through Wolverine. After all, Jackman doesn’t owe us anything, except maybe an apology for those laughably awful CGI claws; you know the ones. In fact, Jackman’s swansong as the character in Logan was more than enough to make up for any past screen transgressions (bad CGI claws, withstanding).

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Jackman%27s%20Wolverine%20Is%20An%20Overwhelming%20Presence']

It’s Funnier (and Better) This Way

If Jackman’s Wolverine had actually appeared in Deadpool 2 in a larger capacity than recycled footage, would it have lived up to fan expectation? No matter who else is in the scene, when Wolverine is on screen, it’s his movie. The one line of dialogue in the single scene appears during X-Men: First Class is arguably the most memorable moment in the film. Jackman as Wolverine is a commanding presence, and in a film starring a character who jokes about not wanting to share the spotlight, how would things have really played out between the two?

Certainly Logan’s wry humor and no-nonsense attitude would have been a great counterpoint to Deadpool’s motormouth tirades, but if he were relegated to a single scene, no matter how amazing the rest of the film was, we would all use that moment as the biggest point of reference. That’s not fair to the film or to Deadpool. The off-screen back and forth between Reynolds and Jackman actually might be more entertaining than anything the latter would have added to the film.

Where Do We Go From Here?

As iconic as Jackman was as the character, Wolverine is getting recast, and no, we do not envy that poor soul. He (or she) has some big boots to fill. But recasting Wolverine might be the best thing to happen to this new wave of R-rated X-Men films. If we wind up getting an X-Force in place of a third Deadpool film, debuting a new Wolverine would make a huge splash that would give Wade plenty of comedy ammo.

Think about it: Deadpool is a fourth wall-breaking character who can juggle the fact that he’s in a work of fiction with the drama occurring within the confines of that fiction seamlessly. When a new actor dons the claws, what would stop Wade from cracking jokes about how he looks different or put on weight or wasn’t voted sexiest man alive by People magazine? Having Wolverine demand that Deadpool stop calling him “Hugh” works as a running gag on multiple levels. This would set a new precedence, but wouldn’t necessarily seem out of place. Deadpool knows that different actors play the same characters in these films. Maybe it’s time for him to address this fact with the character right next to him.

In theaters nationwide, director David Leitch’s Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, T.J. Miller as Weasel, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapičić as Colossus, Zazie Beetz as Domino, Julian Dennison as Russell and Josh Brolin as Cable.