MCU: The gift and the curse of Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine

Should Hugh Jackman return as Wolverine? Here’s why his return could both hurt and help the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hugh Jackman retired as Wolverine after Logan in 2017. It was a movie that gave him the farewell he deserved and allowed him to leave the X-Men chapter in his career behind. The veteran star played Logan in six X-Men movies and three solo films, having done so since 2000. That’s a long amount of time to play a superhero and a feat that not many people can boast.

Most 20th Century Fox Marvel Comics characters were replaced after a few X-Men films. Jackman is one of the exceptions as Logan outlived his generation of X-Men and he continued to get better as the franchise grew. Even if the movies weren’t good, he still managed to put on a great performance.

Is Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine in the MCU?

In a recent Instagram story, Hugh Jackman shared a picture of himself and Kevin Feige. He also shared some of BossLogic‘s artwork, featuring Wolverine popping his claws. Naturally, this resulted in an internet meltdown as Marvel fans began to let their imaginations run wild.

This tease gave fans hope that Hugh Jackman may join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing Wolverine back to the big screen. But as much as people may want this to happen, is it a good idea? Let’s discuss the positives and the negatives of the return of the Fox Wolverine in the MCU.

Good: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is recognizable

Hugh Jackman was the face of the X-Men for 20th Century Fox for over a decade. His portrayal is looked at as one of the best. He’s like a brand you can trust to sell no matter what, so with the X-Men and mutants coming to the MCU, having an actor that’s easily identifiable might help give fans a sense of comfort.

Some people question if Wolverine needs an R-rating, especially after Logan showed us what he’s capable of when there’s no rules. However, while Logan not having any kind of restrictions in fight scenes is great, it’s not entirely necessary. For one, he did a fantastic job in X-Men: Days of Future Past with the PG-13 rating; just as aggressive but with a softer touch. Secondly, Black Widow showed us that an MCU movie can keep its PG-13 rating and still be ruthless when it wants to be.

Whether fans want an R-rated Wolverine or not, the fact of the matter is that having a recognizable one like High Jackman’s could be exactly what the MCU needs to successfully launch its own X-Men.

Bad: Fans may want some new blood in the MCU

As recognizable and beloved as Jackman’s Wolverine is, sometimes a new face is what we need. Marvel Studios will be going in a different direction with the Mutants. A fresh direction might require a new Wolverine.

This isn’t like the early 2000s where actors don’t particularly want to be in comic book film and TV projects. These days performers are telling everyone that will listen that they want to be part of a comic book franchise, be it the DCEU, the MCU, the Arrowverse or a standalone. Moreover, a lot of them are comic book fans. And we’re certainly not short of actors who can play Logan, meaning that a new face could actually be better than the reliable one.

Is it time for a new Wolverine?

Bad: Is he too old?

We also have to think about longevity. How long could the 52-year old Hugh Jackman play Wolverine in an ongoing franchise like the MCU?

The role of Logan is like Tony Stark, Captain America, and Thor. We want to see him in the franchise for a long time, especially with the X-Men coming home to Marvel. It’s unfortunate, but, at most, he may only spend five years popping his claws. And that’s if he started filming immediately.

Although, bringing him in is a good way to leave the old Wolverine behind and introduce a new Wolverine. Speaking of which…

Good: Laura can become Wolverine

This writer is a huge fan of Wolverine. Like a lot of readers, he’s the reason I got into Marvel Comics. That doesn’t mean he has to be front and center with the X-Men – that was actually one of the problems with the first X-Men movie trilogy. There is, after all, another Wolverine that could take his place – one that became adored after she debuted in Logan.

If Hugh Jackman’s Logan isn’t around the X-Men in an MCU project, Laura Kinney could always step in and fill his shoes. Heck, even if Logan is on the team or in the Mansion, that doesn’t mean they can’t coexist. Let’s not forget that Laura is currently Wolverine in Marvel Comics. She’s also the Wolverine in the current X-Men book written by Gerry Duggan.

Logan is proud of Laura taking his mantle. Someone once said that Laura is “like” a Wolverine. She quickly corrected them saying, “I am Wolverine.” This made Logan smile, highlighting that Logan would be more than happy to let her take over for him. If he can accept it, so should we.

The question is: Would Logan‘s Dafne Keen reprise her role?

Good: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman together

The interactions between Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are always entertaining. They’ve spent years making fun of each other on social media and in commercials, they play pranks on each other, and underneath all that hilarity, they seem to genuinely like one another. So we know the chemistry is there.

Ryan Reynolds has been on record saying that he wants Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to be in a movie with his Deadpool. Fans want to see that as well. If Hugh Jackman does return, we could finally get the buddy comedy we’ve wanted for years, especially since Deadpool has finally joined the MCU. A movie that would be full of action, jokes, and Logan being annoyed with Wade, it could finally make up for everything that happened in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Actually, nothing will make up for that – but you get the point!

What do you think? Would you like to see Hugh Jackman return as Wolverine? Let us know in the comments below.