“He just kind of knew it”: Hugh Jackman Predicted Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy’s Ultra-Successful Multi-Movie Partnership Years Before Deadpool & Wolverine

Shawn Levy was so surprised with Hugh Jackman’s prophetic skills that envisioned his future collaborations with Ryan Reynolds.

Deadpool & Wolverine is just around the corner, and surely, the main cast of the film – Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds – are as stoked as the audience. After all, the project has been a long-gestating one, and if we’re talking about psychic powers here, it might have been the result of Jackman’s fortune-telling.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine / Walt Disney Studios

Director Shawn Levy revealed that the Wolverine actor predicted the filmmaker’s partnership with Reynolds several years ago. This is, so far, the most intriguing story about the makings of the Deadpool movie.

Hugh Jackman Envisioned Shawn Levy And Ryan Reynolds’s Future Collaborations

While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Shawn Levy shared how he met Hugh Jackman. They made a film in 2011 called Real Steel, and during one of their conversations, the actor told Levy something quite interesting.

Hugh said to me back in 2011, ‘You know, if you ever meet and work with Ryan Reynolds, you guys aren’t ever going to stop.’ He just kind of knew it. And then, years later, I met Ryan and we made our first movie together, ‘Free Guy.’ And I was like, ‘Man, Hugh Jackman – handsome, pretty good shape. Great actor. And prophet.’

Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy / 20th Century Studios

How Jackman envisioned Levy and Ryan Reynolds meeting sometime in the future and ending up collaborating remains a mystery, but his prediction happened nonetheless. They worked on Free Guy and The Adam Project, and now Deadpool & Wolverine.

The funny thing is, Ryan, when he approached me, we were on set making ‘Adam Project,’ and he’s like, ‘You know, I think I’ll only do this third ‘Deadpool’ movie if you do it with me. And I know you’re going to say no ‘cause you do original films and you like doing new stuff.

To his surprise, Levy was already on board. “I’m thinking, man, I’m already at yes. Within a sentence, I was in,” he confessed. The filmmaker shared his love for Marvel films, and he agreed to the project even before they knew Wolverine was coming back.

This behind-the-scene story about Deadpool is truly the work of fate, but also through the efforts of Reynolds who pushed for the franchise despite many setbacks.

Shawn Levy Clarifies Deadpool & Wolverine Title

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine / Walt Disney Studios

Shawn Levy guested on The Official Marvel Podcast and explained why Deadpool & Wolverine is not entitled Deadpool 3.

There’s a reason it’s not called Deadpool 3 because it’s very much Deadpool & Wolverine. That is the defining trait and premise of this picture. It’s about two people stuck on a quest, who in normal circumstances would not choose to spend a minute together. And now, they’ve gotta spend days.

It’s a great strategy to have Wolverine share the spotlight with Deadpool. After all, fans have been clamoring to have the two anti-heroes team up in a movie, and it’s only fitting to give both of them the center stage.

The third Deadpool movie is the only MCU film slated to open this year after the studio intended to focus on quality over quantity.

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26.