Hugh Jackman was told not to be in Deadpool & Wolverine

It seems like just yesterday that Wolverine was confirmed to be a major part of the upcoming Deadpool movie. And now we’ve learned that Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman was urged not to be in the film. Here’s why.

The new Deadpool & Wolverine movie has the two anti-heroes reluctantly teaming up to take on baddies. This is the first time that Jackman has sported the claws since Logan, which came out in 2017. Surprisingly, the president of Marvel Studios told Jackman not to take the role.

• Related: What we know about Deadpool & Wolverine

Why did Wolverine almost not appear in Deadpool?

It’s been said that there will be multiple variants of Wolverine in the upcoming buddy film. The most famous, however, is Jackman’s version. Logan has long been considered one of the best superhero films of all time — which is precisely why president Kevin Feige warned Jackman to not return.

“I said, ‘Let me give you a piece of advice, Hugh. Don’t come back,’” Feige said to Empire. “‘You had the greatest ending in history with ‘Logan.’ That’s not something we should undo.’”

Jackman decided to still pursue the project anyway. He admitted that he questioned the decision at first but soon realized he “couldn’t stop thinking about it” and told Ryan Reynolds he had to be a part of the film.

So far, fans have been reacting with excitement over the return of Jackman’s version of Wolverine. For many, this is the true version of Wolverine they’ve been waiting for.

This is the first time the two actors have been in the same film in these roles since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film will have plenty of character development as we see how the two anti-heroes, who director Shawn Levy called “mis-matched,” will evolve together throughout the movie.

Deadpool & Wolverine will come out July 26, 2024.