‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ has secretly been set up to be the perfect vessel to return Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to the big screen and induct him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since Marvel acquired the rights to the X-men in 2019, fans have eagerly awaited their return and the chance to see mutants and the MCU’s characters on the same screen. The multiverse at the core of Dr. Stephen Strange’s second Doctor Strange movie means there is infinite scope for cameos and thrilling superhero collaborations and will build on its breath-taking use with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire reprising their roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home. In this vein, Doctor Strange 2 has set up Wolverine, the most famous X-men character’s perfect return.
With Patrick Stewart’s Professor X confirmed to be returning, fans are now speculating about the possibility of seeing his fellow mutant characters feature in one of its alternate universes. Having appeared in nine movies, Wolverine’s last outing in 2017's Logan seemed to be a fitting end to the character’s tumultuous story. However, since Wolverine’s retirement, fans have longed for Jackman’s adamantium-clawed superhero’s introduction into the MCU and have endlessly debated how it would come to fruition; Doctor Strange 2 offers the perfect answer.
In one frame of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer, the superhero sorcerer falls from an animated universe with animation reminiscent of the cancelled X-Men: The Animated Series from 1997. Using this universe to resurrect Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would be the ideal way to assuage fans’ cravings without having to fully bring him back. For the legacy of Jackman’s work, to feature this rendering of Wolverine, but voiced by Jackman, would produce the perfect return; plus, it would serve as the kind of fun fanbait this movie is made for.
Doctor Strange 2’s multiverse exploration will see Strange visit a variety of alternate dimensions, including one that holds his zombie counterpart. The X-Men: The Animated Series universe could be used as another extreme reality for him to negotiate, perhaps as an animation himself. The series is set to be rebooted as X-Men ’97 on Disney+ in 2023. Therefore, as well as delighting fans who grew up watching the show, it would be an eye-catching way to usher in a new x-men era. Further, it would empower one of its main characters, Wolverine, to cameo and allow Jackman, who made the role his own during his live-action tenure, to reprise the part. Fusing different generations of X-men, animated with live-action, and the MCU with X-men would cement Doctor Strange 2 as a momentous and one of the MCU’s most pioneering and gratifying films and justify the "madness" in the film’s title. -Collider
