The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly treating fans to new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. There are a number of upcoming Marvel movies that fans are curious about, chief among them being Jake Schreier's developing X-Men movie. And a new rumor about that blockbuster has me confused about Hugh Jackman's future as Wolverine.
The Greatest Showman actor returned as Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine, which broke records at the box office and seemingly confirmed he'd continue playing the clawed mutant. But Jackman was noticeably missing from X-Men's casting announcement, and a new rumor listed a bunch of other mutants who might pop up during the movie's runtime. That viral tweet alleges:
Just heard this about X-Men from my source. Who I'm positive on being in this movie: Beast, Angel, Jubilee. 50/50 at best on: Kitty Pryde, Iceman. Not in the movie: Gambit, Polaris, Wolverine, Colossus
Well, I'm stumped. Hugh Jackman was the face of the original X-Men movies, starring in seven titles (as well as a handful of cameos). And after he returned to Wolverine in the third Deadpool movie, it seemed clear he was going to be playing the role "till he's 90." But if this rumor is to be believed, he's not going to be included in the fun of Schreier's MCU blockbuster. Talk about a bummer.
Of course, this isn't official just yet, and there are countless Marvel rumors that don't actually end up coming to fruition. The cast that was announced seems to indicate that the team of mutants will be a bit younger than the OGs, which might be the reason for leaving Wolverine out... at least for now. Still, it's hard to imagine a new X-Men movie without Weapon X. This is especially noteworthy since Deadpool 3 was such a wild financial success, coming shortly after box office bombs like The Marvels.
What Ryan Reynolds Has Said About Deadpool's Future.
If this rumor turns out to be legit and Wolverine won't be in the X-Men movie, I have to assume that he'll pop up in whatever comes next for Deadpool. Jackman and Reynolds were both not included in the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, but plenty of folks are hoping they appear in either that title or Secret Wars. For his part, Reynolds has denied appearing in the next Avenger movie.
So, if Jackman isn't going to be in Doomsday or X-Men, then fans might have to wait for a fourth Deadpool flick. Shortly after the threequel was released Reynolds mentioned wanting to take a break from Wade Wilson, saying:
Oh now, bite your tongue. I would love that but there's a reason it's been six years since the last one. It just really swallows my life whole. And I have four kids I wouldn't mind introducing myself to.
While this seemed pretty cut and dry, rumor swirled about Ryan Reynolds developing Deadpool 4 sooner rather than later, especially amidst his wife Blake Lively's ongoing (and expensive) legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Is anyone else's head spinning?
Overall I feel totally clueless about when and where we should expect Hugh Jackman's Wolverine to return to the big screen. I personally feel like there's going to be a Logan-Sized hole in the X-Men movie, but maybe he'll end up having a surprise role after all. Fingers crossed.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for X-Men, that project is currently expected to hit theaters on May 5th 2028... with or without Wolverine.
