Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have a rapport. The two go back and forth over their characters in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the movie where we first got a taste of Reynolds as Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool) and that spurred on the Deadpool franchise. Their connection as actors (and characters) comes from a comic history that has Logan (Jackman) and Wade (Reynolds) going back and forth with each other across numerous issues.
But given how X-Men Origins: Wolverine was received by fans and the struggle that was the release of the first Deadpool movie, it isn't surprising that we haven't got to see the two again on screen—that is, until now. Reynolds has been working hard to bring us Deadpool 3 from director Shawn Levy, who he worked with on Free Guy and The Adam Project. And he somehow has managed to pull Wolverine out of his old-man-Logan retirement to join him for the movie!
When Logan came out, it was Jackman's Swan Song for the character. We got the old man Logan we wanted, a send-off for Jackman that was met with critical acclaim, and it was a nice end to his saga as Wolverine. But thanks to Reynolds pushing hard enough, fans are now going to be gifted with the return of Wolverine as he's dealing with Deadpool. It was an announcement that was a long time coming and Reynolds has recently opened up about getting Jackman back in Wolverine's Adamantium claws.
Reynolds on Getting Jackman to Return as Wolverine
In a new interview with Variety, Reynolds talked about how it was something they always wanted to do but that now felt like the perfect time for Jackman to return as Logan. “We’ve wanted to do this for decades…it’s weirdly the perfect time,” Reynold said. “I never stopped [trying to get him to come back as Wolverine]. I was just pestering him like a gnat over the last many years. I believe in timing, as much as hard work and luck and all those intersections that are supposed to meet. Timing’s the big one. I think he was ready. I think he was excited.”
Reynolds went on to talk about how he pitched the change to Jackman. “And what we pitched him was enough of a divergence from the character that he knows and the character that he’s left behind, that it gives him something completely new to play and something that he’s really excited to do.” Overall, it's just an exciting time to be a fan of the X-Men and these characters in particular because we have been waiting for this.
While we wait for more news on Deadpool 3, you can watch our chat with Reynolds down below.