‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ director Shawn Levy shut down rumors about the film Podcast ‘Happy Sad Confused’ that Patrick Stewart would return as Charles Xavier/Professor While several actors who once played superheroes in Fox-backed Marvel films showed up in the film, from Jennifer Garner’s Elektra to Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Stewart was “never considered” to reunite with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine on screen.
“Never even discussed,” Levy said when asked about Stewart’s rumored return. “And it was studied. Much studied by Emma Corrin because the Cassandra brother and sister of Professor But no, never discussed. Never, ever considered.”
Fans thought Stewart might be back as Professor served as both Jackman and Stewart’s swan song in Fox’s “X-Men” films, and the film featured the deaths of both Professor X and Wolverine. Marvel fans know that Jackman returned in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ as another variation of Wolverine, and not tarnishing ‘Logan’s’ legacy was of utmost importance to the actor.
“It’s all because of this device they have in the Marvel world to move through timelines,” Jackman previously shared SiriusXM about returning. “Now we can go back, because you know, it’s science. So I don’t have to mess with the ‘Logan’ timeline, which was important to me. And I think probably for the fans too.”
Stewart resurfaced as Professor But as Levy pointed out, Stewart’s return was never even discussed.
As for the different variants of Wolverine, Levy said on the website Podcast ‘Happy Sad Confused’ that he almost put a real wolverine animal in the film, but time constraints prevented him from doing so. A scene in the film shows Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool traversing the multiverse in search of the perfect Wolverine.
“Number Seven was a real glutton,” Levy said. “We really wanted a real wolverine, the animal, and he would tear Deadpool apart. But we came up with that idea too late to make a compelling digital glutton, so I’ll have one in my back pocket if I need one for a sequel.”
One of the Wolverine variants actually seen in the film is played by former Superman actor Henry Cavill. Tax told The New York Times that Cavill got sick because he had to smoke Wolverine’s cigar on set all day.
“He kept that cigar on and in his mouth the entire day of shooting,” Levy said. “I remember hearing the next day that Henry had an upset stomach from breathing in cigar smoke for eight hours, but he never wavered.”
Levy further elaborated on Cavill’s Wolverine cameo in an interview with Variety, saying, “If we’re going to talk about him, we should call him by his actual name, the Cavillerine, which Ryan came up with. I knew it was unmistakable as soon as Ryan came up with that term. He immediately said yes because he knew it would be subversive and playful. It was also with a lot of affection for him and his body of work, playing with his legacy as a DC hero as he appears as a variant of a Marvel hero.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
