Deadpool 3 is hotly anticipated as the first Rated-R entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Following his return, rumors have swirled that more of his fellow X-Men cast mates, including Famke Janssen's Jean Grey and James Marsden's Cyclops, might be joining along for the ride. While this would be an exciting development, Wolverine's MCU debut would do best to ignore a rather prominent romance that held down the original films.
The love between Cyclops and Jean Grey is a comics mainstay, but Deadpool 3 would be better served by steering clear of the classic romance. The X-Men films at Fox changed this into a love triangle with Wolverine involved to create more drama. Instead, it served as an underdeveloped part of the original films that weighed them down, something Deadpool 3 would be wise to ditch. Deadpool already has enough to focus on, with Wolverine being thrown into the mix. Instead of rehashing the love triangle, the film has a chance to properly do justice to the original X-Men members by developing them properly for their debut in the MCU with the aid of the original actors.
The X-Men Movies' Jean Grey Love Triangle Stunted Cyclops and Wolverine
A big reason for keeping the Jean Grey romance out of Deadpool 3 is that it did quite a number on Wolverine's character in his early cinematic outings. The original X-Men film trilogy made the romance the central focus of Wolverine's interactions with Cyclops and Jean. What made this worse was that Logan had barely met them before he was pining over Jean, who was already in a long-term relationship with Scott. It made Logan look irrational and made him a poor friend to those two for trying to insert himself into the couple's personal business. It even had the effect of undercutting his heroism, as the infamous X-Men: The Last Stand made Wolverine's supposed love for Jean the big tragedy in his having to kill her despite not having much of a close personal connection with her.
The X-Men films' focus on the love triangle had the consequence of diminishing Scott and Jean as characters. Cyclops' role as a leader was out of focus, and his screen time with Wolverine mostly consisted of the two bickering over the affections of his girlfriend. As a result, his eventual death in The Last Stand didn't make much of an impact, as he largely served as Wolverine's romantic rival instead of a legendary hero the team would have to mourn. Finally, Jean Grey's role as the premier telepath and powerhouse of the X-Men was sidelined in favor of making her a prize for two men to fight over, a major disservice to one of Marvel's most iconic superheroines. This caused all parties involved to come off as less likable than their traditional selves and made it clear just how toxic the love triangle really was.
Deadpool 3 Has a Chance To Do the X-Men Justice in the MCU
Should the rumors be true, Deadpool 3 has the chance to do Scott Summers and Jean Grey justice. As Deadpool has a habit of rehabilitating neglected characters from the X-Men films in his series, this would be the perfect opportunity to put the romance on the back burner and do right by the original X-Men. Even if Wolverine will be the center of attention again, this is the chance to properly portray the two in line with their traditional costumes and heroic personality traits, as opposed to being the subject of a petty rivalry. This even has precedent in the original films, as James Mangold's duo of Wolverine films and the younger versions of Jean and Scott in the rebooted timeline were largely divorced from each other to make them more in line with their traditional selves. And if Deadpool really needs to reference Wolverine's past with Jean, it can always go the route of acknowledging it with humor to address the missteps taken.
Rumors of original X-Men cast members tagging along for Hugh Jackman's Deadpool 3 appearance are exciting, but they shouldn't bring old baggage with them. The Wolverine-Jean romance was part of an ugly dynamic that caused issues with the portrayal of the X-Men in their earlier cinematic adventures. For that reason, Deadpool would be wise not to address it and treat the X-Men with respect as they approach a new era in the MCU as the grand debut of the Mutants.