Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, and the only flaw in Jackman’s version of Logan is actually perfect for the MCU’s plans for the character. Taking many by surprise, Ryan Reynolds announced that Hugh Jackman will star in Deadpool 3 – the first Deadpool film in the MCU. Hugh Jackman had seemly retired from the Wolverine role after Logan, but now that he is back, the MCU can learn from FOX's X-Men mistakes and create an even better version of the character.
Hugh Jackman originally played Wolverine for 17 years – from Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine might be the most recognizable movie portrayal of a superhero. Jackman’s Wolverine leads the X-Men franchise for almost two decades, and he will not get to interact with a broader universe for the first time.
For a character that was front and center in a successful superhero franchise and universally praised as one of the best parts of that franchise, there is not much room for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to be improved – with one exception. Jackman never got to wear Wolverine’s classic yellow suit during the FOX movies, neither in the X-Men films nor in the Wolverine solo entries. The first few X-Men films were built on a sense of realism that ditched the comics' aesthetic, setting the tone for the entire franchise. With neither the X-Men nor Magneto using their colorful suits, it was difficult to picture Wolverine standing out in his yellow superhero costume. A deleted The Wolverine scene teased the possibility of Jackman wearing the classic suit, but that would never fit the tone of Logan. Hugh Jackman concluded his original run as Wolverine without ever wearing Wolverine’s classic yellow suit, and this is something Deadpool 3 and MCU can explore.
Wolverine’s Yellow Suit Is The MCU’s Best Logan Opportunity
What Hugh Jackman’s role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 means for the future of Logan and the X-Men in the MCU is still difficult to say. However, as Jackman’s Wolverine's first appearance in the MCU, Deadpool 3 has to take the character to places the X-Men films never did. Just the fact that Wolverine will interact with Deadpool and perhaps other Marvel characters is already exciting, but having Hugh Jackman wear the classic Wolverine suit would make Deadpool 3 even more unique. Deadpool 3’s Wolverine with the yellow suit would also set this iteration of the character apart from the other times Hugh Jackman played Wolverine, and it would help keep something like Logan separated from the MCU.
As much as it made sense for Wolverine not to wear the yellow costume during the X-Men franchise, not having Hugh Jackman in the Wolverine suit was by far the biggest missed opportunity in the FOX movies. The costume is the MCU’s best chance at doing something different with Hugh Jackman’s version of Wolverine. Marvel Studios has never avoided comic-accurate suits, especially now that the MCU is embracing the cosmic and fantastical side of Marvel.
The classic yellow Wolverine suit could perhaps be saved for when Wolverine is eventually recast. However, now that Hugh Jackman is confirmed to appear in the MCU as Wolverine for at least one movie, not adding the yellow Wolverine suit would be a mistake. Achieving more than fan-service, Wolverine’s yellow suit can make Hugh Jackman’s return to the role in Deadpool 3 feel even more special.
