Deadpool 3 Is Making The MCU’s Next Wolverine Debut Even Harder

Hugh Jackman donning the claws again in Deadpool 3 is wonderfully exciting, but one new feature of his return provides a challenge for whoever inevitably takes over the character in the MCU moving forward. It seemed as though Jackman’s time as Wolverine was over following his heartbreaking performance in Logan. However, he’s clearly got at least one more project in the tank – and maybe more.

Though casting a tall, handsome Australian actor as a historically short, gruff Canadian may have been controversial when the cast of X-Men (2000) was announced, Jackman has become as iconic in the role as any other actor/character pair. However, set photos and promotional material for Deadpool 3 have already revealed that Jackman’s Wolverine appearance won’t simply be more of the same. He’s finally donning a comics-accurate Wolverine suit, which looks beautiful, but there’s a catch.

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A Comic-Accurate Wolverine Suit Was The Best Way For A New Wolverine To Stand Out

While no roles may truly be beyond recasting, Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine for long enough to enough audience acclaim that whoever takes on the character next will have their work cut out for them to make the character their own and move past Jackman’s 24-year (and counting) run. For many, Jackman is synonymous with Wolverine in the same way that Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark or Patrick Stewart is Professor X. However, there was always one element of the character that Jackman never got bring to live through Wolverines complicated timeline in the Fox movie universe – the iconic yellow suit.

However, given that Jackman’s Logan is getting a comics-accurate redesign in Deadpool 3, the MCU’s Wolverine can no longer stand out by being the first to debut the yellow and blue outfit. Given Marvel Studio’s positive track record embracing comic-accurate suits, it seems likely that the new Logan will probably recreate one of Wolverine’s established looks in live-action. This would have been a wonderful way for the new actor to bring something new to the role, but now, it’ll be another way to compare the new version to the Jackman original.

How The MCU’s Wolverine Can Step Out Of Hugh Jackman’s Shadow

The next Wolverine will be embraced by MCU audiences if they deliver a captivating performance, but there’s one way the powers that be in charge of casting for Marvel Studios can give the newcomer an automatic way to stand out. An actor that more closely resembles Wolverine’s look in the comics would differ from Jackman and help him stand out as a completely different take on the iconic X-Men appearance and not just a Hugh Jackman successor. In Marvel comics, Wolverine is only 5’3” and traditionally has a thick, stocky build. Jackman, on the other hand, stands 6’3”.

Marvel Studios going with a shorter and burlier actor, as has been proposed with popular Wolverine fan-casts, but nothing concrete has surfaced to indicate which direction the next take on the character will go. Moreover, it’s still unclear if Jackman’s Wolverine will stick around in the MCU for a while, or if Deadpool 3 will be the actor’s actual, final performance as the character. Even if so, Marvel may want to wait a while to debut a new Logan and give other X-Men their time to shine first.