Doctor Strange 2 Can Redeem X-Men’s Wasted Post-Credits Scene
The deleted post-credits scene included in the home release of 2013's The Wolverine, which teased Logan's classic costume from the comics, could finally receive its due payoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Fox's X-Men franchise brought many iconic characters and storylines to life. It covered many eras and even spawned different timelines, and yet, Wolverine's classic costume only appeared in a deleted scene. While Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is unlikely to join Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the freedom that the MCU's multiverse grants at least makes his suited-up cameo a possibility.
The scene in question shows Yukio and Wolverine aboard a plane after the events of The Wolverine, ready to leave Japan. Yukio hands Wolverine a box, which he opens to reveal the iconic yellow mask and gloves Wolverine wears in the comics. Fast-forward to X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the closest Hugh Jackman got to wearing Wolverine's classic costume was the futuristic suit Logan wears in the Sentinel-ridden future of 2023. X-Men: Apocalypse only featured a brief cameo by Hugh Jackman in his Weapon X attire, and Logan famously focused on an old Wolverine at the end of his life in yet another version of the dystopian future, where he only wears a suit and a tank top.
Logan was a fitting farewell story to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, as it gave the character a well-deserved rest after hundreds of years of physical and mental anguish. But just like Charles Xavier's permanent death in the same movie doesn't forbid Patrick Stewart to reprise his role as a multiversal variant of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a cameo by Hugh Jackman wearing Wolverine's classic suit from the comics would be an unrivaled fan-pleasing moment that doesn’t pressure Jackman to become a permanent part of the MCU. It would be clear that this Wolverine is not really the one fans know and love, but it would allow them to see Hugh Jackman's Wolverine do the one thing he didn't do in the ten movies he appeared in. Given the mind-bending nature of the MCU multiverse, Wolverine's bright yellow costume would no longer seem out of place in live-action.
This hypothetical scene would be further improved by Wolverine's interaction with other characters such as Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, or Professor X himself. The idea of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland sharing the screen seemed like a fever dream just a couple of years ago. Now that Patrick Stewart's Professor X is linking Fox's X-Men franchise to the MCU, Wolverine's brief appearance isn't completely off the table. Of course, there have been no signs of Hugh Jackman's involvement in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so his cameo will probably remain as unlikely as that of other actors who starred in non-MCU Marvel movies.
Nevertheless, the introduction of mutants to the MCU is inevitable, and the relevance of the multiverse in Phase 4 is undeniable. Whether mutants are brought from a different universe or are created as a product of Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch's actions, it wouldn't be weird to see at least a new version of an X-Men member in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Hugh Jackman's cameo as a suited-up Wolverine would add an extra layer of nostalgia to the addition of MCU mutants.