Hugh Jackman Hesitating About Retiring Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds Says 'Logan' Could Be Oscar Contender

Welcome to today's edition of "Your Favorite Comic Book Movie Stars Talk a Whole Bunch," where Hugh Jackman showcases some hesitation about officially retiring as Wolverine (because he'd like to team up with Deadpool, you see) and Ryan Reynolds says Logan could be an Oscar contender. Superhero movie stars and celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things?? Let's Find Out!

The roots of this first part were actually planted last month, when it was widely reported that Ryan Reynolds had filmed a cameo as Wade Wilson for Logan, Hugh Jackman's supposedly final turn as Wolverine. However, the rumor was quickly shot down by director James Mangold and Reynolds himself (and the internet, looking forward to seeing a movie that lives up to that great trailer, sighed with relief). But then, Reynolds said that he'd love to see Deadpool and Wolverine team up in a completely separate movie, a dream complicated by Jackman preparing to leave the role behind after 17 years and nine movies.

And that brings us to a new Variety profile on Reynolds, where the actor talks about wanting to play Deadpool "for as long as they would let me play Deadpool" and how he wants to make that team-up movie happen. The only obstacle is getting Jackman to stick around:

I have no idea if I can change his mind. It's the audience: I would exclusively exploit that relationship to get Hugh back for another one.

Jackman himself is quoted in the article, where he seems to be hedging his bets about the whole thing:

I'm hesitating because I could totally see how that's the perfect fit. But the timing may be wrong.

If Logan is an enormous hit, it's entirely possible to see Jackman sticking around for another movie or two, even if it would deflate the whole "swan song" narrative that has built up around the film. And teaming up with Reynolds, who helped make Deadpool one of 2016's biggest movies, is a recipe for success. At the same time, I'm of the opinion that Hugh Jackman deserves to eat a donut or six and for the love of God, let the man retire so he can eat some carbs.

Meanwhile, Reynolds also says that Logan could be the first comic book movie to be a real Oscar contender:

Logan looks like a movie that might break that glass ceiling. I know first-hand that it's amazing. I've seen some of it. It's mind-blowing. It relies a lot on character.

I've spoken to people who have seen the first 40 minutes of Logan (which have screened several times now) and they've had nothing but glowing things to say. However, "X-Men Franchise Star Says Nice Things About Next X-Men Movie" isn't the kind of thing you should take too seriously, even if everyone involved has the best of intentions.

Logan opens on March 3, 2017.