‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Was on Its “Deathbed” Before Hugh Jackman Saved It – Reynolds, Levy & Jackman Reveal How a Single Phonecall Saved the Movie

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is this summer’s most anticipated movie. It’s Deadpool’s & Wolverine’s first foray into the MCU, it’s Jackman’s first Wolverine movie since his “retirement” and according to early projections, it just might be the financial success that the MCU currently needs.

But, before ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ was born, we learned that Reynolds pitched several ideas for the movie all of which were turned down. We also learned that Feige tried to talk Jackman out of playing Wolverine again, due to the perfect ending his character got with Logan.

In a Vanity Fair interview, it was revealed that Hugh Jackman called Ryan Reynolds with the basic concept for Deadpool & Wolverine shortly before Reynolds was set to suggest putting Deadpool 3 on hold to MCU boss Kevin Feige.

This call saved the project after Shawn Levy and Reynolds struggled to create a ‘Deadpool 3’ concept that fit the MCU while staying true to the first two films. They had concluded it wasn’t the right time due to insufficient story ideas until Jackman’s call changed everything.

We frankly struggled to find a story that felt original and non-derivative of the other two Deadpool movies. It had to be deserving of the first Deadpool entry into the MCU, but also feel grounded because this is an earthbound, gritty, realistic superhero franchise. We had fits and starts. And Ryan and I were right at the edge of saying to Kevin, “You know what? Maybe now is not the right moment because we’re not coming up with a story.” And that is the moment when Ryan’s phone rang and it was Hugh calling from his car. And I’ll let Hugh tell that chapter of this story.

Hugh Jackman recalls that on August 15, 2022, during a break from his Broadway run in ‘The Music Man,’ he was relaxing on a beach when he suddenly realized he wanted to make a Deadpool-Wolverine movie. Despite concerns about having ended his Wolverine story with ‘Logan,’ he felt a strong urge to pursue the idea and immediately called Ryan Reynolds. Coincidentally, Reynolds was about to have a Zoom meeting with MCU boss Kevin Feige regarding the future of ‘Deadpool 3.’ Jackman’s timely call led to a pivotal conversation about integrating Wolverine into the project. Reynolds explained that the movie was saved by the bell:

On the Zoom with Kevin, we just cut right to the fucking chase. We said, “Look, this call just came in. I feel like we’d be idiots to look this gift horse in the mouth and ignore it. This is a one in a billion chance. I really feel like this is what we’ve been looking for.”

Ryan Reynolds explained that they initially had a loose idea to bring Wolverine back without interfering with ‘Logan’s’ legacy. Kevin Feige, Shawn Levy, Hugh Jackman, and Reynolds were all committed to protecting that legacy while telling a compelling Wolverine story. Shawn Levy emphasized that ‘Logan’s’ legacy was important to all of them and that awareness is reflected in the new movie. Jackman contributed story ideas, though he humorously admitted only a small part was useful. Levy added that maintaining Deadpool’s unique tone, including breaking the fourth wall, is crucial and not all actors grasp that immediately.

There are rules. Very specific rules. You would diminish stakes in the film if everyone—or even anyone else—was also aware of the fourth wall or any kind of meta aspect. Deadpool is the only character who has that ability to do that. If everyone did that, then you would no longer invest in that character as much. You really want to believe that the villain is a villain. You really want to believe that your costar’s character is true as well. Deadpool can undermine that—and does undermine that—because you don’t want the audience to take him as seriously.

We are now aware that pretty much every character can return since the birth of the Multiverse Concept. Two significant characters in the MCU franchise returned from the dead through their “variants” namely Gamora and Loki, as far as the rest of the interview, It’s going to make much more sense when the movie releases.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

Liked this article? Join the community on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!