Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy feels he needed to right a wrong when taking the opportunity to make the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster. According to the filmmaker, turning down the chance to work with Hugh Jackman on The Wolverine gave him added motivation to helm the Phase Five movie.

Speaking with Empire Magazine, Levy opened up on why he joined Deadpool & Wolverine, revealing he first boarded the MCU film after star Ryan Reynolds asked him while they worked together on Netflix’s The Adam Project. For Levy, signing up for the feature-length project was a no-brainer. “I remember him saying, ‘I know you’re gonna say no, but I’m really going to try and talk you into it.’ And my response was, ‘I’m not gonna fucking say no, are you kidding? It’s a hard and immediate yes, sir!’” he said.

The upcoming Deadpool installment initially didn’t feature Jackman. However, when Jackman came out of his Wolverine retirement in 2022, it presented Levy with a fresh opportunity to collaborate with the Australian actor, having done so on the acclaimed Real Steel. Levy recalled turning down The Wolverine, a decision he openly regrets, due to his desire at the time to focus on making original movies. However, Jackman’s addition to Deadpool & Wolverine offered potential redemption for the director.

“When we were making Real Steel, Hugh was looking to do The Wolverine, and he asked me if I wanted to do it,” Levy said. “And like a moron, I said, ‘No’. Because I was thinking at that time, ‘Well, it’s your fifth time playing the character, I’m doing original films et cetera’. And I regretted it deeply for years. And so, when the opportunity came around again, thank God I was older and wiser enough to jump at the opportunity.”

Shawn Levy Gets His Chance to Direct Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Levy recently explained how Jackman’s Wolverine return changed the trajectory of Deadpool & Wolverine, making it more of a standalone movie rather than a threequel and featuring higher stakes. The film chronicles Reynolds’ “Merc With a Mouth,” who is summoned away from his quiet family life to go on a mission thanks to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), and teams with Wolverine for an adventure that shifts the MCU’s landscape and transforms the Multiverse. Jackman’s return nearly didn’t happen, considering Marvel president Kevin Feige advised Jackman not to reprise his role.

Deadpool & Wolverine sees Reynolds and Jackman star alongside Morena Baccarin, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Emma Corrin and Jennifer Garner, with several celebrity cameos teased. For Jackman, Deadpool & Wolverine marks his first appearance as the claw-wielding mutant since 2017’s Logan. Levy and Jackman enjoyed success when they collaborated on Real Steel, with the film becoming a critical hit and an Academy Award nominee, grossing $299.3 million against a $110 million budget.

Jackman is most synonymous with the X-Men film franchise, with Deadpool & Wolverine expected to introduce several people connected to the popular mutant group. Jackman will sport a comic-accurate yellow suit for his Wolverine return, something the actor is happy about.