Kevin Feige Is Derailing the Marvel Masterplan Behind Avengers: Endgame
Kevin Feige may be poised to undercut the project that inspired Robert Downey Jr.’s Endgame farewell, as Hugh Jackman’s post-Logan return in Deadpool & Wolverine looks less like a last hurrah and more like the first crack in a legacy fans thought was untouchable.
So, here is the current Marvel headache: Kevin Feige has praised the ending of Logan as one of the best character send-offs ever, used it as a north star for Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame… and now there is a new rumor that Marvel wants Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for more gigs after Avengers: Secret Wars. If that is true, it puts a pretty big dent in the clean, brutal finality of Logan.
What kicked this off
Wolverine died in Logan back in 2017. That was supposed to be it. But Jackman popped the claws again for 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds. Most folks assumed that would be a one-time victory lap. Now insider Daniel Richtman claims Marvel Studios intends to keep Jackman around for "more projects even after Secret Wars." If Marvel actually goes that route, we are right back to the same debate: does bringing Logan back again undercut the ending that made his goodbye so impactful?
Feige has said Logan’s ending is the gold standard
On Disney+’s Assembled: The Making of Deadpool and Wolverine, Feige flat-out says Logan set the bar for how to end a character’s story. He ties it directly to how Marvel handled Tony Stark in Endgame. His words, not mine:
"I had always been very vocal with Hugh [Jackman] that he had one of the best endings of any fictional character ever. And I told him that is so amazing, what he was able to accomplish in 'Logan.' That’s what we were striving for with Robert Downey Jr. in 'Endgame,' is to give this incredible, iconic fictional character an amazing ending."
Why fans are side-eyeing this
Jackman wanted to retire Wolverine and leave Logan as the curtain call. Deadpool & Wolverine already bent that promise, which some fans were fine with because the movie is a blast and, technically, you can chalk it up to multiverse shenanigans. But if the Richtman chatter is right and Marvel plans to keep Jackman in play beyond Secret Wars, the Logan finale starts to feel less like a definitive goodbye and more like a very dramatic speed bump. People love Jackman as Wolverine. That part is undeniable. The risk is turning one of the best superhero endings into a shrug.
Logan quick refresher
- Directed by: James Mangold
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook
- Year of release: 2017
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Worldwide box office: $619 million
- Production: Marvel Entertainment
- Where to watch: Disney+
Bottom line
If Marvel really keeps Jackman going after Secret Wars, it clashes with everything Feige himself has praised about Logan’s finality. Maybe the multiverse can keep the timelines tidy, but emotionally, each return chips away at that perfect exit. Do you want more Jackman, or do you want Logan to stay the definitive goodbye? Honestly, I get the appeal of both. But you only get one last ride once.