With Deadpool 3 set to have Hugh Jackman lift a self-imposed role retirement to play Wolverine opposite star Ryan Reynolds, the actor is hinting about the character's mood in the movie.
At a red carpet interview with AP at an event for director Florian Zeller's film, The Son (for which Jackman headlines), the imminently returning Wolverine was asked about his Deadpool 3 return. While short on details, he did describe the demeanor his signature character will have in the upcoming threequel. "There’s no choice. He’s definitely the angrier, acerbic, grumpy. And he’s going to take a lot of free shots at Ryan Reynolds -- physically, that is." Of course, Wolverine's mood will be a crucial element to the film since it will seemingly center on the interplay between Jackman's perpetually irate X-Man and Reynolds' loquaciously sarcastic mutant assassin. Yet, regarding his eventual grumpy performance, he also said, "I'm going to have the time of my life."
The X-Men Invade the MCU
Of course, the surprise September announcement by star Reynolds that the stalled Deadpool 3 was actually moving forward, this time tapping Jackman to return as Wolverine, was met with overwhelming fan excitement. After all, it was made quite clear that his appearance as a tired, grizzled version of Wolverine in 2017's Logan was to be his final appearance as the character. Moreover, the film itself will be the first (and likely only) instance in which a franchise conjured for Fox's iteration of the X-Men films gets grandfathered into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This comes after Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier made a surprise appearance in this year's MCU movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
After Disney's acquisition of Fox saw the Deadpool films locked in stasis after 2018's Deadpool 2, Reynolds knew he needed to bring a big pitch to keep the prospect of his own return alive. Consequently, the star was actually surprised that Jackman agreed to come onboard. "I think, actually, he'd given up," he recently explained of Reynolds' reaction. "I think it was a big shock to him. There was a massive pause, and then he said, 'I can’t believe the timing of this.'"
Interestingly enough, Jackman's preparation for his Wolverine return is already yielding implications for his current projects, most notably his lead role in a Broadway production of The Music Man. While his character, Harold Hill, is far from a jacked mutant berserker with adamantium claws, the star is already in the process of physically transforming back into that role. He says the process has been especially inconvenient for the production's wardrobe department. Indeed, he recalled certain protein shake-caused incidents. "I had about two minutes. I said to the stage manager, 'New pair of pants!' I had my pants around my ankles," Jackman recalled. "I thought, if my dresser doesn’t get here in time, it’s better to go on in split pants than no pants. Then I saw him running from stage right to stage left, top speed. We made it just in time."
The upcoming threequel will be directed by Shawn Levy, who worked with Reynolds on the 2021 video game-themed comedy Free Guy.
Deadpool 3 is currently scheduled to premiere on Nov. 8, 2024.
Source: AP