That sound you might have heard around 5 p.m. ET Tuesday was millions of geeks’ heads exploding, thanks to Ryan Reynolds‘ Instagram.
That’s because he teased fans that Deadpool 3 will feature none other than his pal Hugh Jackman‘s return to his X-Men character, Wolverine.
Reynolds opened by apologizing to fans. “We were extremely sad to have missed D23,” he said of the annual Disney Expo, “but we have been working hard on the next Deadpool film for a good long while now.”
Along with pensive shots of Reynolds both in and out of his Deadpool costumes, he continued, “I’ve had to really search my soul on this one. His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel really special. We need to stay true to the character …”
He continued, “It’s been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach deep inside. And I have nothing. It’s completely empty up here. And terrifying. But we did have one idea.”
At that, Hugh Jackman walks into frame behind him, eating an apple, and casually walks up a flight of stairs in the background.
“Hey Hugh: You wanna play Wolverine one more time?”
“Yeah, sure Ryan,” Jackman says, chewing.
At this, Reynolds raises his eyebrows, and Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You” blares, the obvious play on words with “you” and “Hugh.”
“Coming Hughn,” a title card reads near the Deadpool logo — which is split apart by Wolverine’s three claws — and a release date reading “9/6/24.”
The news came as a shock to fans, as Jackman had retired playing the role in 2017’s Oscar-nominated Logan, meaning he was never part of the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox — and the Wolverine character with it — along with the MCU’s dabbling in the Multiverse, however, it looks like fans will finally get their wish and see the two heroes together.
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