Despite being in production limbo, Deadpool 3 remains one of the most anticipated Marvel projects. That’s largely thanks to the return of Hugh Jackman, who’s set to reprise his role as Wolverine after six years in X-Men retirement. As exciting as it will be to see him trade blows with Ryan Reynolds’ merc, there’s one question still lingering: How will Deadpool 3 work around the demise of Wolverine?
Jackman last appeared as Wolverine in Logan, a swan song for the character and an all-around fitting end to Fox’s X-Men saga (if you ignore Dark Phoenix, as you should). Reynolds, Jackman, and Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy have made their reverence for Logan clear, and though Jackman is officially back, the 2017 film remains fixed in canon.
“I want the world to know, as the producer and director, all of us share a deep love and respect for Logan, every aspect of how it’s crafted, and all the events that take place,” Levy recently told BroBible’s Post Credit Podcast. “Logan is canon. We love Logan. That happened.”
Levy’s comments echo Reynolds’ statements in 2022. “Logan takes place in 2029. Totally separate thing,” the actor explained in an Instagram video. “Logan died in Logan. Not touching that.”
The filmmakers seem to be giving Logan a wide berth, but what does that mean for Deadpool 3? Will it take place in the past, between the Japan-set The Wolverine (which saw the character don his trademark yellow suit) and Logan? The haircut Jackman sports in Deadpool’s first look is near-identical to his look in The Wolverine, so there’s a strong chance the new film picks up right where it left off. But it’s also possible that Deadpool 3 will use the multiverse to explore a new timeline and introduce a new Wolverine.
Though there’s plenty of space in the canon for Wolverine to take a quick detour, it would make sense for Deadpool 3 to avoid Fox’s X-Men timeline altogether. There are only so many ways to explain Wolverine’s first encounter with Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins, which is technically still canon (although that version of Deadpool was killed off in Deadpool 2’s meta credits stinger). Deadpool 3 may continue its fast-and-loose rapport with the timelines by uniting its anti-hero with a different Wolverine from an adjacent universe. That could explain the “double role” Jackman will reportedly play: he may appear as different or even multiple versions of the character we know and love.
This wouldn’t be the first time the MCU used the multiverse to bring back beloved X-Men. Patrick Stewart cameoed as an alternate universe Professor X in Doctor Strange’s 2021 sequel, and Deadpool 3 could be following in its footsteps. It would certainly keep the film from muddling an already-confusing timeline, all while keeping Wolverine on his pre-determined path. We won’t know which course Deadpool chooses until the film hits theaters sometime in 2024, but it’s still nice to know that the team-up will stand apart either way.
