Hugh Jackman Hints at Possible Wolverine Return in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars

Despite initially retiring the character, Hugh Jackman’s return as Logan/Wolverine proved to be a record-breaking success. 24 years after he first played the role in X-Men, he starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine, marking his most profitable outing as the superhero yet.

Since then, speculation has run rampant about how much longer Jackman will play Wolverine. The movie itself even fanned these flames with Reynolds’ Deadpool saying he’d reprise his role “til he’s 90.” The rumors only grew after Marvel confirmed that multiple original X-Men stars would appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Recently, Jackman addressed whether he would return to the MCU for Doomsday or its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars. Per Digital Spy, the Song Sung Blue star said “I’m never saying ‘never’ ever again.”

“I did mean it until the day I changed my mind,” he continued. “I did mean it for quite a few years. I have done ten films now, so I think they have enough for an AI version of me!”

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine – Can’t Unsee It Thumbnail

This spring, he played coy when confronted with the question of whether he was hiding a secret Doomsday appearance. “I really can’t say much, except when you say ‘appear,” [it’s] more like dominate and destroy every other character—I’m kidding,” Jackman joked. “I really have nothing to add, and if I did, I would find a really cool way to not say it, but I actually have nothing to add.”

Despite Jackman’s vagueness and him not being confirmed for Doomsday or Secret Wars, the likelihood still seems high. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has previously stated: “The plans with Deadpool and Wolverine will always be the same: we’re always wondering where we can fit them in, and how fast.”

Nonetheless, Jackman and Reynolds’ MCU future seems heavily tied to its ongoing multiverse saga, making Doomsday and Secret Wars the most likely movies for them to show up in. That is, unless Marvel were to invest in a spin-off. Likewise, the MCU appears to be moving in a new direction with the X-Men franchise, as Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier will direct a reboot.

This, in conjunction with Deadpool and Wolverine existing in a different universe than the MCU proper, makes their longevity as part of the broader franchise short-lived. Regardless of whether Jackman returns as Wolverine, Avengers: Doomsday is slated to release in theaters on December 18, 2026.