Why Hugh Jackman's Answer About the Next Wolverine Points to Deadpool 4

Hugh Jackman was asked what advice he would give the next Wolverine, and his answer is revealing. I think it confirms what industry insiders have been saying about Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 4, and it says a lot about whether a Wolverine recast was really imminent at the time of writing.

The question was simple: is a new Wolverine coming soon, or is Hugh Jackman's version sticking around for the next era of the MCU? I go through his comments, the case for keeping him and the case for recasting below.

Kevin Feige says every MCU character will eventually be recast, Wolverine included

Kevin Feige admitted the previous year that at some point in the future every character will need to be recast. That includes the roles where the actors seem perfect, such as Steve Rogers, Wolverine and even Iron Man. The real question is how far in the future a Wolverine recast becomes a genuine possibility.

At the time of writing, the entire X-Men team was expected to be recast within roughly the following 24 months for the saga after Avengers: Secret Wars. Some of those characters were likely already cast by then. If Sadie Sink is truly playing Jean Grey, that confirms to me that Marvel is casting much younger. That makes it all the more likely that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, given his age, wouldn't quite fit with the team.

Hugh Jackman tells Project Big Screen he won't give the next Wolverine advice

At the time of writing, Hugh Jackman was doing press for his film The Death of Robin Hood. I'm cautious about actors' interview answers. They are asked the same question about a hundred times on a press tour, and at the end of a long day they sometimes say whatever comes to mind without thinking it will follow them forever. This answer, though, stood out.

An outlet called Project Big Screen asked him for advice for the next Wolverine, as if a new Wolverine arriving in the MCU was a foregone conclusion. He joked: "I'm 57. I'm doing this till I'm 90. So, you know, I'll do a little time capsule for them."

Then he gave a more serious answer: "I'm not going to say anything to whoever plays him cuz no one said anything to me, which I am really thrilled about." He explained that he had not read the comics, so he came to the role fresh and learned a lot over the years. He said he has his own take, which must blend with who he is in some way. He hopes whoever comes next simply does whatever they want with the character and makes it their own, which is about what you'd expect from Wolverine.

I think that's an honest take. He doesn't need to tell the next actor that he is stepping into Hugh Jackman's shoes, because that actor will already know. He just has to do his own thing with the character.

Deadpool 4 could keep Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in the mutant saga

The conventional wisdom in the industry has been that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is sticking around at least for the next saga. Some people have recently asked whether it makes sense for Wolverine to be this old when the X-Men look set to be cast younger than ever. I don't think making it work is as impossible as it sounds.

Ryan Reynolds confirmed over a year ago that he is working on the next Deadpool film. I assume it will include a small team. Industry insiders like Daniel RPK have indicated that team may include Storm, Cable and Wolverine.

Marvel Studios knows that pairing Hugh Jackman's Wolverine with Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool in their first outing together paid off enormously: 1.3 billion dollars, to be exact. Even after the reported cost of half a billion dollars, that is still a billion dollar payday on one film. I would be completely shocked if Marvel Studios didn't double down with at least one more Deadpool and Wolverine film.

If Hugh Jackman sticks around for that early in the mutant saga, it's a straight shot to 2032, five years for the next saga coming from Kevin Feige himself. By then, Hugh Jackman would only be a year older than Robert Downey Jr. was when I wrote this.

A Sadie Sink Jean Grey may take the Wolverine love triangle off the table

There is one catch. If Marvel brought in a Wolverine played by an actor of Hugh Jackman's age alongside Sadie Sink's Jean Grey and a Cyclops, maybe the love triangle would be off the table.

I love Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but Marvel seemed headed for closure in Avengers: Doomsday, giving the Fox X-Men a last hurrah in which a lot of them don't make it out alive. Then, in Avengers: Secret Wars, Sadie Sink would be playing the new Jean Grey if that casting is true, and I assume we may see some new X-Men characters. To me, Secret Wars is really about rebooting and forming the new MCU, and moving past these multiverses built from old cinematic universes from different studios.

I want a Wolverine recast, even though Hugh Jackman's return looks like a lock

I have a sneaking suspicion that Marvel Studios will keep Hugh Jackman around for one more film. But "I actually in my heart of hearts want a recast." Maybe not for Deadpool, since Ryan Reynolds sticking around as Deadpool for a while makes sense. Not every X-Men character needs to be cast as young as Sadie Sink's Jean Grey either. Hank McCoy, Storm and some others could be older. Still, Marvel Studios definitely wants to set up multiple years and sagas for some of these actors.

Based on this response and what we already know, Hugh Jackman coming back seems like a lock. Should Marvel recast Wolverine for the next saga anyway? I believe so. That's hard to say out loud, because I love Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and he and Deadpool have amazing chemistry. Keeping Ryan Reynolds is another reason his return looks like a lock. Dollars speak, and that may be what motivates it.

I still think a new Wolverine has been coming for a long time, and this may be the time to do it. Then again, he's not that old, and he still excels as Wolverine, especially in the costume. If Steve Rogers sticks around, Thor stays and maybe Iron Man comes back, I want to live in a world where the MCU has a Wolverine as good as Hugh Jackman. So it isn't the end of the world if Marvel doesn't recast, and maybe Marvel Studios will surprise us. From what I see on social media, people overwhelmingly seem to want a recast.

Should Marvel recast Wolverine for the next saga, or keep Hugh Jackman in the role?