Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine May Have a Longer MCU Future Than Expected

17 hours ago 1

Deana Carpenter is a Movies & TV News Reporter at CBR. Before joining the team, she worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Almanac and spent more than 15 years as a freelance newspaper reporter. With a background in journalism and media, she brings strong reporting experience and a passion for storytelling to her coverage of film and television.

Hugh Jackman has become synonymous with the name “Wolverine,” having played the popular member of the X-Men since the first X-Men movie in 2000. A version of Jackman’s Wolverine was last seen in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, and fans wondering if he will return to the MCU may finally have an answer.

According to EpicStream, with Marvel’s planned reboot of the X-Men franchise, adding Wolverine to the mix is likely the next logical step. Scooper Daniel Richtman said the studio is planning to keep Jackman’s Wolverine around “for more projects even after Secret Wars.” Secret Wars is slated for a 2027 release.

The fact that Wolverine could stick around for that long is similar to the joke that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is planning to keep Jackman as Wolverine/Logan “till he’s 90.” In Deadpool & Wolverine, the duo resolved unfinished business left behind at the end of Logan. Additionally, it was learned that the version that teamed up with Wade Wilson was, in fact, from an alternate universe, and not the original Logan that fans had learned to love.

If rumors are true, and Marvel plans to keep Jackman’s Wolverine around, it in turn likely confirms that the character will survive whatever happens in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie. It still remains unclear exactly how much the MCU will utilize Wolverine in the future. He could theoretically become part of the new Avengers team or be involved in crossovers with the Fantastic Four or even reunite with his Fox X-Men team.

Kevin Feige Talks the Future of the MCU

Deadpool in his red suit stands next to Wolverine in his blue & yellow suit in Deadpool & Wolverine

Back in July, Feige updated fans on the future of the MCU beyond Doomsday and Secret Wars. “Secret Wars, as in the comics, is as much about bringing certain storylines to a close as it is launching a new one," Feige said at that time. “And that’s what’s very exciting. It's already well into development of the next saga. We're working on the next saga's three phases. But really, the first [phase] of the next saga is directly impacted by what we're doing right now with these movies and sequels.” However, it’s still unclear whether Reynolds and Jackman will return for the upcoming films.

While several members of Fox’s original X-Men cast will return for Doomsday, actor Famke Janssen, who played Jean Grey in the franchise, said she isn’t sure she will be back for the Phase 6 film. “Yeah, to be honest with you, I don’t really know the storyline, so I’m not sure. It’s not my world, it’s never been my world, really, that whole comic book world. I should know by now, I’ve been in it long enough. But I’m really excited to see when it comes out. Just like everyone else, I’ll find out what those storylines are and how it all ended up,” Janssen said in a previous interview. Confirmed for Doomsday are X-Men alums Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, and Alan Cumming.

Avengers: Doomsday will be released on Dec. 18, 2026. Secret Wars will be released on Dec. 17, 2027.