When Hugh Jackman made his big return to Marvel movies, it seemed the impossible had happened. The actor was pretty clear that Logan would be his final movie as the character, and yet, there he was alongside Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine. Pandora's box was opened, and now that he's back, it's possible he's getting his own upcoming movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While rumors persist that his buddy, Patrick Stewart, will retire from acting after Avengers: Doomsday, a new report suggests that Hugh Jackman will appear as Wolverine in a standalone movie. Credit to X user @KnightGambit, who noticed that there's a Marvel patent on the United States Patent and Trademark Office site specifically for "WOLVERINE". Take a look:
A "WOLVERINE" trademark has appeared on USPTO website but not the EUIPO as of 12.12.25#XMen #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/k04T20eGImDecember 17, 2025
Now, this could mean that a Marvel is planning another Wolverine movie, but at the same time, it could mean a lot of other things. For example, it could mean a streaming series is on the way. It's even possible this could be for a legacy toy line or something of that nature. It also could just mean that it was time to renew the copyright on the character, which is entirely possible as well.
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but every major organization is known to snatch up patents for various properties, names, or characters, and sometimes, nothing ever comes of it. There are times in which it does, however, which is to say there is certainly a chance Marvel is planning a major move with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.
If that is happening, I don't find it surprising. Deadpool & Wolverine crushed at the box office, and James Marsden has said he and other X-Men actors have been bombarded with questions for years about when they will return. It seems like a lot of people want to see Hugh Jackman back again as Wolverine in his own movie, and I think it would be silly of Marvel to ignore that.
Of course, right now Marvel is being cagey about what's next for the character, and hasn't even confirmed Wolverine will be in Avengers: Doomsday. Hugh Jackman isn't talking either, and has rebuffed any attempts to pry the answer out of him.
That said, for all of the reasons it makes sense to make a Wolverine movie, it also makes sense that he would be part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. As such, I would imagine that movie will be a major key in figuring out whether or not a Wolverine movie is going to happen, and what it could be about as well.
Avengers: Doomsday is already one of the biggest 2026 movie releases on the docket, and it's coming out December 18th. So we have plenty of time for more rumors and potential confirmation about whatever is next for Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a limited series, personally, especially after seeing how well it worked out for DC with The Penguin.
