Deadpool 3's Stars Have A Simple Explanation For Wolverine's Return

The news of "Deadpool 3" gets better and better. The announcement from Disney that the Merc with a Mouth would be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was exciting enough, and without recasting Ryan Reynolds or watering down all the adult humor to boot.

This, in turn, opened up speculation about whether Deadpool would be bringing the X-Men with him into the MCU, at long last bridging the frustrating gap that came from having the rights to the legendary mutants owned by an entirely different studio. Now, finally, it's been confirmed, and in a way befitting the smirk of Deadpool.

"Hey, Hugh, you want to play Wolverine one more time?" asks Reynolds in a surprising video, as Hugh Jackman walks by in the background. "Yeah, sure, Ryan." Cue Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and the "Coming Hughn" chyron.

Having Jackman appear as Wolverine in an MCU "Deadpool 3" would fix the twenty-year-old false rift. But, as any fan of the "X-Men" films will tell you, Wolverine is dead. He was given a worthy end in 2017's "Logan." James Mangold's film gave such a fitting death to a mutant whose powers essentially made him unkillable is one of the reasons that some view "Logan" as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. How then, after all that, are we to believe that Wolverine is going to be alive for "Deadpool 3"?

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds have provided us with answers to this question. Sort of. In a follow-up video posted on Jackman's Twitter, the two sit down and address us by first confirming that Wolverine dies in "Logan," which takes place in 2029. "We're not touching that," says Reynolds.

Wham hit "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" starts playing, and drowns out Jackman and Reynolds' dialogue, where they presumably explain how Deadpool and Wolverine come to meet. By the time the song fades out, all that's left is for the two to thank MCU head, Kevin Feige.

So much for a thorough explanation. That being said, given that the first two "Deadpool" movies take place in what we can assume is contemporary time, and that "Deadpool 2" confirmed via Cable (Josh Brolin) that time travel does exist in this universe, the possibility of Wolverine and Deadpool fighting side by side is a distinctly viable one. In any event, Wolverine's death in "Logan" remains canon.

As for Reynolds' ill-advised appearance as a near-unrecognizable version of Deadpool at the climax of 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," there is no word on how "Deadpool 3" plans to reconcile with it. It looks like fans will have to wait until the movie is released on September 6, 2024.