More than two decades after the release of the 2005 Fantastic Four film, Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards, has unveiled details about a never-seen Wolverine cameo featuring Hugh Jackman. This scrapped scene was intended to link the Fantastic Four movie closer to the X-Men universe during Fox’s era of Marvel adaptations, offering fans an early connection between the two franchises.
Although Fox’s Fantastic Four and X-Men movies were not part of a shared cinematic universe, they occasionally included subtle nods to each other. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was firmly established as a leading character in the X-Men series by 2005, and the planned cameo was designed as a tribute to his popularity and importance within the Marvel franchise.
Behind the Deleted Wolverine Scene in Fantastic Four
Ioan Gruffudd recently talked to Vulture about the deleted moment where Reed Richards uses his stretching abilities to shape-shift his face into Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine as a way to impress Sue Storm, played by Jessica Alba. This sequence was filmed during reshoots, with Gruffudd and Alba recording their parts in separate locations—Vancouver and New York, respectively—yet the final footage made it appear as though they were together on set.
“I don’t know why that didn’t make it into the film. Paying homage to the great Hugh Jackman was quite a thrill because I absolutely love him as an actor and his Wolverine. I’m glad that it has a chance to exist somewhere.”
— Ioan Gruffudd, actor
“That was a reshoot, and I was in Vancouver on a soundstage and Jessica was in New York, so we weren’t actually together, but we look perfectly in sync.”
— Ioan Gruffudd, actor
This scene never appeared in the theatrical release but was included in the original DVD as a deleted feature, allowing dedicated fans to glimpse what might have been a bold crossover moment for the time.
Significance of the Wolverine Cameo in Fox’s Marvel Strategy
During the early 2000s, 20th Century Fox was exploring how to intertwine their Marvel properties, despite the lack of an official shared universe. The presence of X-Men Easter eggs in Fantastic Four reinforced the idea that Fox wanted to subtly connect their franchises, which included references such as the name “Franklin Reed”—the fictional son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm—appearing on a computer screen in X-Men 2 (2003).
Given the success of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine as X-Men’s flagship character, it is clear that the studio saw value in highlighting him within Fantastic Four. The Wolverine cameo was reportedly filmed during reshoots, suggesting that Fox intended to strengthen the link between the two worlds.
There were even considerations for a potential X-Men versus Fantastic Four crossover movie at the time, which adds context to why a Wolverine cameo was included in reshoots but ultimately removed; it may have been judged premature to make the crossover explicit before plans for such a film were finalized.
Reflection on the Impact of Early Marvel Crossovers
Before interconnected universes became standard in comic book films, any small crossover moment, no matter how brief or unused, was a source of great excitement among fans. The deleted Wolverine cameo represents an early attempt to provide that thrill, years ahead of the comprehensive Marvel Cinematic Universe where multiple franchises regularly intersect.
Even relegated to the bonus materials on Fantastic Four’s DVD, this scene remains a fascinating glimpse into Fox’s creative ambitions and the evolving landscape of superhero cinema. It highlights both the enthusiasm for shared universes at the time and the challenges studios faced in fully realizing them.
Fantastic Four itself follows the story of four astronauts—Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—who gain extraordinary powers after a space mission incident. Together, they battle Dr. Doom’s threats to the world as they adapt to their newfound abilities. The story’s link to Wolverine through a scrapped cameo further emphasizes the appeal and complexity of Marvel properties under Fox.
