When word arrived that director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman were in talks to return for a 'Wolverine 3' (we'll call it that for the time being, even though we hate that it reminds us of the existence of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'), we openly wondered what existing storyline they would use for the film, or if they would tell a completely original tale. Mangold himself put to rest the notions that they would create their own 'Wolverine' story saying they "absolutely" will be adapting a popular comic storyline.

While promoting 'The Wolverine' on DVD and Blu-ray, Mangold confirmed to IamRogue that they're currently working on a 'Wolverine 3' treatment that would be adapted by one of the classic comic books arcs:

Absolutely. I can tell you that in determining where we are going I’m not solely relying on my own imagination but also the imaginations that have spun great stories about Wolverine in the comics.

He later added that the two years after the end of 'The Wolverine' but before the post-credits intro to 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' is a definite possibility for when the film would take place before cautioning that they're exploring multiple alternatives. The problem with that possibility is that Wolverine still has his bone claws in the post-credits scene and there's no way Fox would allow an entire movie of Wolverine with bone claws.

If Mangold is using comic book storylines to inform his 'Wolverine 3' treatment, what could he be using? We previously theorized that "Old Man Logan" could make sense, but that doesn't really fit in with 'The Wolverine' and 'Days of Future Past.' And while we'd love love love for a proper "Weapon X" movie, retelling Wolverine's origin at this point seems like just going backward. They could revisit Madripoor or Brian K. Vaughn's "Logan" (though we don't think they'll return to Japan for another movie).

What we're likely looking at is a mish-mosh of ideas. Like, finally getting Wolverine to Japan and battling the Silver Samurai...but then shoehorning in Viper for no apparent reason. We wouldn't be surprised here if Mangold crafted his own story around Omega Red, a villain from Jim Lee's early-90s 'X-Men' run that never had a classic storyline, but still has a solid fanbase among readers.

What do you think? What path should a 'Wolverine 3' follow?

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