Hugh Jackman has appeared as Wolverine in every single X-Men movie Fox has ever made. He is an integral part of the X-Universe and arguably the franchise's most popular character. But to keep interest and enthusiasm high after "X-Men: Days of Future Past" reinvigorated the franchise, Fox is preparing to make solo films for fan favorite characters Deadpool and Gambit, starring Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum, respectively.
Even though the mutant world is branching out, there still may be room for everyone's favorite surly superhero. MTV asked Jackman if he'd be willing to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Deadpool movie.
"They are definitely enemies in the comics and they always spark off well together so I'd be open to that idea," Jackman said.
Technically, Jackman and Reynolds' characters already met in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." But the reception to that film (and "X-Men: The Last Stand") was so poor that "Days of Future Past" erased it from the timeline. A handy little trick for universally panned installments.
Fan demand for Deadpool is high, but as an edgier and more graphic character, Fox surely has to be wondering what kind of box office results the film will generate. Adding Jackman's Wolverine, the de facto face of the X-Men cinematic universe, could help boost tickets sales and overall interest from casual moviegoers. It is similar to what Marvel and Sony are rumored to be doing by adding Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man to the first new solo Spider-Man film.
"While Fox may be spending less on Deadpool than your average modern Marvel movie budget, they're undoubtedly banking on the character for the long-term," Rob Keyes of ScreenRant.com wrote. "The plan is for 2-3 Marvel movies per year going forward from Fox and the studio is aiming to find more bankable leads to help share the Hugh Jackman spotlight going into the future..."
Is Reynolds that bankable lead? "Green Lantern" bombed so bad that Warner Bros. had to rethink its entire DC lineup while "R.I.P.D." couldn't even muster $35 million at the box office. Still, comic books fans love the character of Deadpool so much that superhero redemption could be on the horizon for Reynolds.
