Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, but which version of the hero will audiences see? That's a question that still hasn't been answered, and with the tease that Jackman could play multiple variants of Wolverine, it opens the door to some exciting possibilities.
Ryan Reynolds hinted back in April that Wolverine would be different than what audiences had seen before, and it appears that even multiple incarnations of Wolverine will show up. With that in mind, here are a handful of versions I'd love to see in the upcoming Marvel movie, or the MCU at large should Jackman stick around.
Classic Costume Wolverine
When Marvel brought Spider-Man to the MCU for the first time, it could be argued we finally got the most comic-accurate costume for the superhero on the big screen, particularly through his moving mechanical eyes. Across his numerous appearances as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman never once found his way into the traditional Wolverine suit we know and love from animation and Marvel Comics. Even if it's a one-off deal, shouldn't we get to see that in live-action?
I don't care if it's Hugh Jackman jumping into the costume for a scene or two, or a variant from the X-Men '97 series. We need to see at least one Wolverine, if not "the" Wolverine appearing in the classic costume. It's probably going to look goofy in a way few MCU costumes have, but maybe I'll be surprised.
Zombie Wolverine
Typically, I would say zombies appearing in an MCU movie, even one as kooky as Deadpool 3, are a long shot. Then Marvel's What...If? came out, and one of the episodes featured a zombie storyline. After that, we saw Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness deliver its own take on the undead. Ipso facto, I have to consider the possibility that zombies can very easily infiltrate the Earth from another universe.
Not just any zombies, though: Marvel zombies. Wolverine already has zombie-like qualities thanks to his regeneration, making him very hard to kill, so imagine how hard he'd be to stop if he was hungry for brains. He'd somehow be even more violent than he already is, which seems like a pretty hard feat to accomplish. Could Deadpool 3 afford to have whatever rating would accompany a zombie Wolverine? Maybe we should just stick to the idea of Marvel Zombies being a standalone movie.
Lord Of The Vampires
There are few Marvel heroes that, given one more attribute to their character, are capable of completely destroying the world. The Wolverine of Earth-9140 learned just that when he became a vampire, killed Dracula and took his role as Lord of the Vampires. Wolverine quickly and aggressively turned or killed most mutants, heroes, and any rival who could stop him. The only thing that undid him in the end was his own humanity, as Wolverine used the Darkhold to destroy himself and all vampires once he witnessed all he'd done.
I don't expect Deadpool 3 to go that deep with its storytelling if it brought in a vampire Wolverine, and I wouldn't be the least bit shocked if it happened. After all, we have Blade on the way, and we haven't gotten a good introduction to vampires in the MCU at all so far. A variant Wolverine who's a vampire would be a great way to break the ice and perhpas convince the MCU's true Logan he needs to hit up Blade and snuff out the vampiric threats on their world before any try to turn him.
Old Man Logan
I'd reckon that in this age where superheroes are in the mainstream relevancy, many people are at least familiar with the name "Old Man Logan." The alternate version of Wolverine from a distant future was ultimately the inspiration for the movie Logan, in addition to other influential works, like Watchmen.
I would be shocked if the variant from Logan was a part of Deadpool 3, but I could see at least one version of Old Man Logan appearing. It would be neat to see Hugh Jackman age up as an older, more crotchety Wolverine. Maybe even Deadpool would take the piss out of the character and have the Merc with a Mouth track down an obscenely old version of Wolverine to appear. I'd be down with subversion of expectations all in the name of a gag. Give me an "Old Man Logan" who is comically old!
Pre-Adamantium Wolverine
When I was a child, there was nothing cooler to me than the idea that Wolverine had an adamantium-coated skeleton. Now that I'm older, I find myself more fascinated and intrigued by the "feral" Wolverine with his bone claws. Sure, bone claws are not as shiny or sleek, but they make the brutality of Wolverine feel that much more intense.
Having Feral Wolverine along for the ride would be great, but only because it would strengthen the overall effectiveness of a team of Wolverine heroes. Imagine a giant magnetic crane is blocking the entrance to an evil layer. You need a guy who can override the metal sensitivity, and that's where a guy like Feral Wolverine would come in handy.
A Literal Wolverine
We've established at this point that Deadpool is a franchise that takes the piss out of being a superhero. So I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if after being tasked with assembling a team of Wolverines from the multiverse, Deadpool yanked a literal wolverine out of its natural habitat to aid in battle. Let's not forget that wild animals are a gem when it comes to physical comedy, and could make for some funny moments in the movie.
And really, it's not that strange for an actual wolverine to be in Deadpool 3. We've already seen Alligator Loki in the Disney+ series Loki, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. The more I think about it, the more on board I am with the idea, so now I'm really hoping we get to see a literal wolverine appear in this movie.
Laura Kinney
Laura Kinney is an important part of the Wolverine lore. While we got an introduction to her character in Logan, we didn't really get the full scope of Kinney as a character and how she'd eventually become Wolverine in her own right as an adult. Of course, Logan didn't set out to tell that story, but it did lay the groundwork for it to be picked up by Deadpool 3.
Dafne Keen is 18 years old now, and I think it's the perfect timing for her to return as Laura Kinney as an adult version of X-23. It would be cool to see Logan reconnect with his daughter, though granted, we don't know if this Logan has any connection to Kinney and if meeting his daughter would mean anything to him. All I know is there's an opportunity here, and I'm hoping the stars align where she could appear.
Deadpool 3 is in the works, but it's not set to be released in theaters until November 8, 2024. Those looking to watch the first two movies can do so with a Disney+ subscription. Watch them now and think up your own theories about what Hugh Jackman's Wolverine will be up to when he returns.
