We already know Hugh Jackman is returning for one more Wolverine movie, Wolverine 3, which is an odd working title because I don’t remember any other Wolverine movie before The Wolverine. Nope. Nothing at all.
We also heard rumors the film may be based on the Old Man Logan storyline, and Patrick Stewart said he had been in discussions for a team-up movie with Professor X and Wolverine. After the R-rated Deadpool earned a ton of money, rumors circulated that The Wolverine director James Mangold would be allowed to do an R-rated Wolverine 3. Considering Mangold shot The Wolverine as an R-rated film and did some alternate takes in case the studio later insisted on PG-13 (they did), it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mangold had been planning an R-rated Wolverine 3 all along.
And now the R-rated Wolverine 3 has been confirmed by producer Simon Kinberg himself. Kinberg revealed to Collider that the film has already begun shooting; is aiming for an R rating; takes place in the future; and is “bold,” “different,” and “like a western in its tone.” He wouldn’t confirm the Old Man Logan plot or Patrick Stewart’s involvement, but he sure makes it sound like the tone of the film would be the right playground for Mangold and Jackman to tell the Old Man Logan story.
“It’s a very radical, bold, different Wolverine than you’ve ever seen in any of these movies. […] I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say about [Patrick Stewart’s rumored casting]. I will agree with you that Patrick Stewart was rumored to be a part of that film. It takes place in the future, and as you and others have reported, it is an R-rated movie. It’s violent, it’s kind of like a western in its tone. It’s just a very cool, different film.”
The next Wolverine movie — whatever the plot ends up being — opens March 3, 2017 and will also star Boyd Holbrook as the main villain, and has reportedly also signed Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, and Eriq La Salle. For what it’s worth, Hugh Jackman has already lent support to the idea of Deadpool making an appearance. We can already imagine what kind of bawdy, silly merchandise tie-ins that could lead to.
