Wolverine's post-Deadpool return to the MCU "revealed" (and it's a shocker)

We are just months away from Deadpool and Wolverine's release and with each day, week, and indeed month, anticipation continues to grow. With anticipation comes rumors, and this movie has had plenty of them, as fans are speculating who could appear, return, or get mentioned in the film that promises to reinvigorate the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hugh Jackman is making his eagerly-awaited comeback as Wolverine and that's obviously a huge deal for fans of the X-Men franchise. But his return in the odd, violent, and no doubt off-the-wall buddy action comedy might be an even bigger deal for the future of the MCU. Yes, we're all ready to see him back in action, but is it a one-time thing, or could there be more to Logan's return than that?

Jackman and co-star Ryan Reynolds recently commented on their futures in the MCU after Deadpool and Wolverine, and that - as well as a new report in response to those comments - might have shed some light on the matter.

Deadpool and Wolverine could return to the MCU after their own movie

With the promo train now in full swing, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are going all out to promote Deadpool and Wolverine prior to its July release. Part of that promo train involves an interview with Empire Magazine, during which they were asked about their futures in the MCU.

The duo were very humorous in their responses, leaning into the notion that Marvel Studios doesn't allow its cast to spill secrets at any costs, as Reynolds commented that he was "very nervous" talking to the interviewer. Jackman doubled down on that, adding:

"I've never been so scared of what's coming out of my mouth."

- Hugh Jackman

Naturally, Marvel fans have begun speculating about the possibility of seeing the duo again in the near-future. In terms of which one is more likely to return, the obvious answer is Deadpool. He's a major commodity in his own right who has just found his way into the MCU, so it's highly unlikely that his first entry in the franchise will be the last. As for Wolverine, Hugh Jackman did retire the original version of the character in 2017's Logan, so it sounds like this return was for this movie alone.

That said, as we all know, anything can happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with the saga slowly building towards the introduction of the X-Men, there have been plenty of fan theories about if - or when - we could see Logan again. And now a new report suggests it could be sooner than you think.

Marvel scooper MyTimeToShineHello took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and quote-tweeted the comments from both Reynolds and Jackman in response to their potential returns, adding the comment "Secret Wars".

Avengers: Secret Wars is set for release on May 7, 2027 and it is expected to bring about the end of the Multiverse Saga. That could very well be the time and place that Wolverine returns, as fans have been speculating this for some time... and he's not the only one involved in the rumors surrounding that movie.

How Wolverine might actually return in Avengers: Secret Wars

While it's absolutely epic to see Hugh Jackman back in the role of Wolverine, the consensus among the fans is that it's a short-term comeback. That doesn't, however, mean it's exclusive to the one movie. Deadpool and Wolverine is indeed going to be his biggest adventure in the franchise, but once you join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you could always end up in more than one movie.

The upcoming movie is just one of the many outings in this Multiverse Saga that Marvel is building up and it will all culminate in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Fans are already speculating that there will be another incredible battle sequence that will unite the heroes against another major threat (much like we saw when the Avengers battled Thanos in Avengers: Endgame to close out the Infinity Saga). And the belief is that it will feature a number of cameos from the non-MCU heroes that pop up throughout the Multiverse Saga.

Jackman's name is on the list of potential returnees that fans are hoping to appear, alongside both Andrew Garfield's and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men (who played major roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home). If this does indeed happen, you can probably expect to see Deadpool resurface in the scene too, as well as a number of other Marvel heroes that didn't originate in the MCU.

Of course, it's all speculation until confirmed by Marvel Studios, but it's an exciting rumor to speculate about nonetheless. The fact that it does seem to back up what fans have been discussing since Jackman's return was confirmed also works in its favor. We know that the legendary X-Men star likely won't become the MCU's full-time Wolverine, but that doesn't mean he won't return throughout the Multiverse Saga. If that return is indeed in Avengers: Secret Wars, we're in for a heck of a treat.