The 2017 Logan was one for the books. The film saw an aged Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) defending a young mutant created from his DNA and his daughter, X-23 (Dafne Keen). Meant to be the last movie of Jackman as the adamantium-clawed mutant before he made his return in Deadpool & Wolverine, the film received critical acclaim. It was dubbed to be a perfect sendoff for its titular character. But though it was part of a huge franchise, being the third and final installment in the Wolverine trilogy, its director, James Mangold, admitted he’s not a fan of cinematic universes and even thinks they are “the enemy of storytelling.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone to talk about his new Bob Dylan movie, A Complete Unknown, Mangold, who also directed the 2013 The Wolverine and the 2023 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, said he didn’t “do multiverses” when asked if Joaquin Phoenix would be part of his upcoming biopic after playing Johnny Cash in his 2005 film Walk the Line. He then explained that though he had worked in the “world of IP entertainment,” he was not fond of “multi-movie universe-building.”
“I think it’s the enemy of storytelling. The death of storytelling,” he said. “It’s more interesting to people the way the Legos connect than the way the story works in front of us.”
The director continued that the goal would always be what made the movie and characters unique instead of making the viewers think of their connection to other films or wait to see Easter eggs. He found this move to be an intellectual act rather than emotional, which is how he wanted the movie to be.
“You want the movie to work on an emotional level,” he added.
James Mangold Reacts to Hugh Jackman’s Return in Deadpool & Wolverine
Nobody stays dead in the superhero world, so fans will once again see Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine after he died in Logan. So, though Mangold gave the character a great swansong in his 2017 movie, he was fine with the idea that Jackman would return as Wolverine again. In fact, he was not even surprised about it.
“I never was under any illusion that there wouldn't be a new movie, even with potentially a new Wolverine, coming out in the not-too-distant future,” he told Inverse in 2023. “With properties like this, I just view them as opportunities to make my version. For me, Logan was just my ideal version of a kind of Logan story.”
After doing several movies with Jackman, the two became good friends and even talked a lot. One of the things they discussed while doing Logan was bringing unlikely characters like Deadpool and Logan together. Hence, he completely understood why Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and director Shawn Levy brought that idea to life.
He also told Entertainment Tonight in the same year that he was excited for Jackman to get a chance to play Wolverine again. If truth be told, he knew that Logan wouldn’t be the last time viewers would see a Wolverine movie.
“We had our moment to kind of let that movie play, and I’m really moved by how much that picture lives in people’s memories,” he said. “You can’t put a moratorium on characters.”
By the looks of it, Mangold won’t helm a multiverse movie anytime soon. However, this may not mean he won’t direct franchise sequels, as he’s set to direct a Star Wars movie about the beginning of the Jedi Order, presumably titled Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to release on Friday, July 26.
