‘Deadpool 3’ Was “Changed Radically” When Hugh Jackman Asked To Join The Film

Up until now, many just assumed that “Deadpool 3,” aka “Deadpool & Wolverine,” was always going to be a team-up story with the two massively popular heroes. Well, apparently that wasn’t the case. And if Hugh Jackman hadn’t had an “epiphany,” fans might have been left with a very different superhero sequel.

READ MORE: Kevin Feige Says He Once Urged Hugh Jackman To Not “Undo” ‘Logan’ Ending Or Return As Wolverine

Speaking to EW, filmmaker Shawn Levy talked about “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and he dove into what might have happened if Hugh Jackman didn’t agree to star in the film. It appears Levy and star Ryan Reynolds were working through what might have been a much more straightforward “Deadpool” sequel.

“Everyone assumed that Hugh’s return was the result of me or Ryan pestering or pitching him relentlessly,” Levy explained. “But even more miraculously, this was the result of a Hugh Jackman epiphany. He wanted to do this team-up of Logan and Deadpool, and so it really was a sky-opening gift from the heavens type of phone call that changed everything.”

READ MORE: Shawn Levy Says ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Will Require No MCU “Homework” For Audiences

He added, “Everything changed radically on the day that Hugh called Ryan. We had been workshopping a lot of ideas about possible stories for a third ‘Deadpool’ movie. Those were story ideas that were more sequelly to the first two ‘Deadpools,’ but none of them imagined such a seismic shift. I can safely say that the story completely changed and, in fact, came to us very, very quickly starting that day.”

What would have been the third ‘Deadpool’ film without Jackman? We’ll likely never know. And probably, fans don’t really care. The idea of Deadpool and Wolverine teaming up is more than enough for the fandom. And judging by the reception of the first two trailers, people are hugely anticipating “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is set to arrive in theaters on July 26.