Hugh Jackman Teases “Double Role” for Wolverine in “Deadpool 3”

Before we try to unpack an intriguing clue that Hugh Jackman revealed to the French newspaper Le Parisien about his upcoming return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, let’s quickly assess what we do know about the film.

Jackman returns as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 despite dying a hero’s death in James Mangold’s terrific Logan via some narrative trickery. Or really, it doesn’t even have to be all that tricky considering Logan is set in 2029 and Deadpool 3 is presumably set before then. Yet Jackson himself has hinted that his be-clawed mutant’s return is due to Marvel’s use of the multiverse and its ability to superimpose two, three, or a million universes on top of each other. As Jackson said to Sirius XM, Wolvy’s return is possible because of “this device they have in the Marvel world of moving around timelines. Now we can go back because, you know, it’s science. So I don’t have to screw with the Logan timeline, which was important to me. And I think probably to the fans too.”

We also know that Jackson’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’s Merc with the Mouth will face off against a villain played by The Crown‘s Emma Corrin, which is an exciting bit of casting. We also know that director Shawn Levy and longtime Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have promised that Deadpool 3 will be as hardcore as ever, even though the famously R-rated franchise is now housed within the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe, which itself lives in the even vaster Disney realm. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed the hardcore-ness of Deadpool 3 when he revealed the film would, indeed, be rated R.

Now, onto that nugget that Jackman revealed to Le Parisien about his return as Wolverine:

“Yes, it will even be a double role. Ryan and I have been friends for twenty years; we have a lot of fun together. We’re shooting this summer. That’s why I’m so happy to be in Paris right now and to be able to enjoy French gastronomy. Because very soon, I will have to go on a strict diet to remake Wolverine’s body: steamed chicken and broccoli!”

A double role, you say? This makes us wonder if we might be getting two versions of Wolverine here. Considering that Jackman has already teased the multiverse, one can be forgiven for speculating that screenwriters Reese and Wernick might not have swung for the fences after learning Jackman was willing to return and ginning up the most gonzo storyline for Wolverine ever. Consider that Logan introduced a purely evil version of Wolverine with X-24, a clone of our hero who was, nominally, under the control of Dr. Zander Rice in that film. A “double role” could, of course, mean a ton of different things, and not necessarily that Jackman will be literally pulling double duty as two Wolverines he did in Logan, but it’s intriguing to imagine multiple Wolverines giving the Merc with the Mouth more than even he can handle.

Deadpool 3 is currently slated for November 8, 2024.

For more on Deadpool 3, check out these stories:

“Deadpool 3” Adds Emma Corrin to Cast Alongside Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman Dropped a Big Clue About How Wolverine Returns for “Deadpool 3”

“Deadpool 3” Director Shawn Levy Promises Franchise Remains As Hardcore As Ever

How Ryan Reynolds Got Hugh Jackman to Return as Wolverine for “Deadpool 3”

Featured image: Featured image: Hugh Jackman in ‘Logan.’ Courtesy 20th Century Fox.