Nearly a month ago, it was confirmed that production has begun on Wolverine 3, with recent photos seemingly hinting that this final Wolverine movie will actually be adapted from the “Old Man Logan” comics, which has been rumored for months. We still haven’t gotten any official plot details at this time, but today a new rumor has surfaced, which not only claims that this story won’t be based on “Old Man Logan”, but reveals the new title. If this report is true, Wolverine 3 will actually be called Weapon X.
Of course, 20th Century Fox hasn’t confirmed this report from Gamezone, which claims to have reliable sources. We’ll have to wait and see if director James Mangold or star Hugh Jackman will respond to this report, though that seems unlikely. If this title is confirmed, it’s possible that this story could tie in to last month’s X-Men: Apocalypse.
Hugh Jackman made a brief appearance during X-Men: Apocalypse, which was set in 1983, as he took out a number of soldiers at the Weapon X facility at Alkali Lake. Then again, since that movie was set in the past, and Hugh Jackman has been spotted sporting a beard with hints of grey, it doesn’t seem likely that this story will be set in 1983. It is possible that there could be a flashback or some other tie-in to X-Men: Apocalypse, but we don’t know for sure.
It’s worth noting that 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past essentially established a new timeline for this X-Men franchise, but we don’t know how this will affect Wolverine 3/Weapon X. There have been rumors that this movie will introduce the mutant X-23, a clone of Wolverine who was hinted at in casting calls for Wolverine 3. As far as we know, this character hasn’t been cast, although Boyd Holbrook has signed on to play the new villain, along with new cast members Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant and Eriq La Salle, although their characters have not yet been identified either.
James Mangold is directing from a script by David James Kelly, with 20th Century Fox setting a March 3, 2017 release date. The movie has already been confirmed to be R-rated, with another report surfacing last month that claimed Wolverine would be squaring off against a group of cyborgs known as the Reavers, who, in the comics, are hellbent on destroying all mutants. We’ll be sure to keep you posted with more news on Wolverine 3/Weapon X as soon as more details come in.