MOVIE NEWS – Deadpool & Wolverine is dominating theaters right now, but it wasn’t always certain it would turn out this way. Although the film marks Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ debut in the MCU, Jackman almost didn’t make it. That probably would have been a huge mistake for multiple reasons. In an interview with MTV News, Jackman was asked how he would have felt if Deadpool & Wolverine had gone on without him. As it turns out, Jackman would have been very disappointed.

“I would have been upset. Every cell in my body was like, ‘I really want to do it.’ So I would have been heartbroken, I would have cried, I would have been angry. I probably would have ended the friendship, and filed for custody of his children.”

Following the tremendous success of Deadpool and Deadpool 2 starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth, the third film will be the first in the franchise developed under the Marvel Studios banner after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

In all seriousness, Jackman’s enthusiasm for the role is well-known. Having played the character for over 20 years, it’s no surprise that Jackman has such a strong attachment to the role. It’s a bit surprising to learn there was a real possibility that Jackman wouldn’t return for Deadpool & Wolverine, though the circumstances were mostly out of anyone’s control.

Ryan Reynolds’ Lucky Break

The story of how Jackman signed on for Deadpool & Wolverine is quite fortuitous. Jackman had famously retired from the role of Wolverine with 2017’s Logan, which ended with Wolverine’s death. But that didn’t stop Reynolds from wanting Jackman in Deadpool 3. He had been hinting at a Wolverine team-up since the first Deadpool was released — only to be told it was unlikely.

When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, it wasn’t clear to the public whether Deadpool would be a returning franchise. An R-Rated series seemed an unlikely fit for the family-friendly MCU. Behind the scenes, however, Reynolds and MCU head Kevin Feige listened to various pitches: a low-budget road trip movie, a film with Mephisto as the villain, and so on.

None of the pitches felt right, though, and Reynolds revealed that he was close to walking away from the project. On the day Reynolds was set to give the final pitch for Deadpool 3, he got a game-changing phone call: Jackman had pulled over to the side of the road and called Reynolds to say he wanted back in. After years away from Wolverine, Jackman missed the character and wanted to reprise the role. This was the film Reynolds really wanted to make: a team-up between Wade Wilson and Wolverine.

Convincing Disney to approve it took some effort, but they eventually agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history. Deadpool & Wolverine is now in theaters, and Jackman didn’t have to fight for custody of Reynolds’ kids.

Source: MovieWeb