Hugh Jackman arguably has the record for the longest tenure of an actor playing a superhero over the years. Since 2000’s X-Men, the actor has played Wolverine for almost 24 years and is returning once again in the upcoming MCU film Deadpool & Wolverine. Before this, the X-Men had its own universe separate from the MCU at 20th Century Fox.
The Tim-Story Fantastic Four films also existed within the Fox-Marvel ventures but were separate from the X-Men universe. However, a deleted scene featuring a morphed version of Jackman from the 2005 Fantastic Four film shows how the two properties almost merged and started an interconnected universe long before the MCU.
Hugh Jackman’s Fleeting Cameo From Fantastic Four Was Ultimately Left Out of the Film
20th Century Fox was churning out multiple Marvel projects in the early 2000s. With the success of X-Men and X2, the studio came out with a film focused on Marvel’s first family, The Fantastic Four, in 2005. The quartet of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm were played by Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis respectively.
While both properties were not narratively interconnected, one deleted scene from Tim Story‘s Fantastic Four (via YouTube) suggests that the studio was planning to merge both franchises. In a scene where Reed and Sue talk about their relationship and the idea of a strong masculine man, Reed uses his stretching/elastic abilities to mould his face into a likeness of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine for a few seconds.
While the shoddy and unfinished VFX work made the whole scene goofy, fans were surprised by the unexpected Wolverine cameo ( even if it was an awfully morphed version of Jackman). One fan pointed out his elastic abilities helping him to morph into Wolverine writing, “This Reed is so OP that he can shift his face into someone else just with elasticity, the other one can only turn himself into spaghetti” (a reference to John Krasinski’s cameo in Doctor Strange 2).
Another fan was gobsmacked with the scene and Reed’s impressive shifting abilities, commenting, “I didn’t knew this existed and I didn’t knew he could do that.” Reed’s abilities stem from a molecular level. Therefore, he can change, mold, and contort himself to form any appearance. While the cameo is in itself interesting, it was better off being left on the cutting floor.
Deadpool and Wolverine’s Team-Up Has Been in The Works For Many Years
Since their fleeting interactions in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine were a combination that warranted a buddy movie. Over the years, however, this opportunity never materialized, and with Jackman hanging up his claws in 2017’s Logan, it seemed to be a dream that might never come true.
However, after Disney acquired Fox, things started to materialize, and now audiences are about to get Deadpool & Wolverine in just 3 months. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Reynolds stated that this project had been in the works for many years and he had been ‘pestering’ Jackman for the film. He claimed that luck and the right timing were essential in finally making this project happen. Reynolds said (via Variety),
“We’ve wanted to this this for decades…it’s weirdly the perfect time. I never stopped [trying to get him to come back as Wolverine]. I was just pestering him like a gnat over the last many years. I believe in timing, as much as hard work and luck and all those intersections that are supposed to meet. Timing’s the big one. I think he was ready. I think he was excited.”
Deadpool & Wolverine‘s trailer saw the entertaining camaraderie between the two characters. Jackman and Reynolds have never been better in their Marvel roles, and audiences are in for a treat this summer. The film also stars Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26. 2024.
Fans can watch 2005’s Fantastic Four on Disney+.
