Hugh Jackman’s Surprise Call Saved ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ from the Scrapheap

Deadpool & Wolverine became one of the biggest hits of the year, grossing over $1 billion at the box office and reigniting hope that the MCU still has plenty to offer. Fans were ecstatic from the moment the film was announced.

The movie’s production captured the attention of millions around the world, with Reynolds admitting that leaks and spoilers kept him up at night. Despite the overwhelming excitement, the Deadpool threequel almost didn’t happen — and it wasn’t for lack of effort.

In past interviews, Reynolds revealed that he pitched multiple story ideas for Deadpool & Wolverine, but Marvel Studios turned them all down. These concepts included a Rashomon-inspired plot and even a Christmas adventure featuring Santa.

In a recent interview with Indiewire, Levy shared that they were about to give up on Deadpool 3. They were stuck trying to figure out how to mix Deadpool’s down-to-earth style with the bigger, more serious tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Then, out of the blue, Hugh Jackman called to say he was ready to return as Wolverine. That phone call completely changed everything. What was supposed to be a meeting where they were going to throw in the towel turned into an exciting brainstorming session with Marvel’s Kevin Feige.

Jackman’s excitement sparked a new idea: a buddy road-trip movie focusing on legacy, regret, and redemption, inspired by films like Midnight Run and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. This fresh direction brought new life to the project and helped shape its story.

And from that phone call onward, this pairing unlocked the story for us, and it instantly became not only a Midnight Run, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-inspired two-hander road trip, but also a movie about legacy and about two characters haunted with regret, who need each other to find redemption, And that really unlocked the writing process for us.

Reynolds mentioned that before the Deadpool-Wolverine team-up was possible, he pitched several quirky ideas. While these ideas were fun, they were eventually put aside. Reynolds believes that both fans and himself are probably happier with Deadpool joining Disney’s Marvel Universe rather than appearing in its animated classics.

There was, even before Shawn joined. I must have pitched Kevin a dozen, maybe 16, Deadpool movies, a Sundance Deadpool, which was like a road trip with Margo Martindale, shot on no money, no special effects needed, just character. I pitched Deadpool Is Hunting, the hunter who shot Bambi’s mom finds him, and they fall in love, become, like, Butch and Sundance and of course, I was told we don’t touch Bambi at Disney, and rightly so.

Source

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