Let’s be honest comic book fans – we’ve been waiting for a while to see Wolverine properly portrayed on-screen. Hugh Jackman has filled the mystical Canadian’s shoes rather well to this point, but no story has truly grasped Wolvie’s true potential. Up until now he’s been nothing but a regenerating punching bag – but James Mangold’s X-Men spin-off The Wolverine is attempting to change all those pre-conceived notions.
First of all, with only about seven months until release (July 26th, 2013), many are wondering when the first trailer will surface showing Hugh Jackman in his samurai glory. We haven’t heard much on it yet but according to recent reports, we’ll be seeing the very first trailer released February 12th, 2013 – if rumors are to be believed. It sure makes sense that marketing will begin ramping up for yet another superhero installment, but I feel it’s safer to go by an “I’ll believe it when I see it” mentality. Mark you calendars though, because if this report is right, we’re all in for a treat.
Getting back to why one should be excited about The Wolverine though, fans aren’t the only ones asking for Wolverine to be granted brand new exposure. Even though Hugh Jackman has portrayed Wolverine about 5 times now, he’s still wishing to show a side of Wolvie no director or film has been able to capture. As per his interview with Empire:
“I still don’t think we’ve seen the definitive Wolverine. And the longer I play the character, the more the desire to get him right grows. The more I speak to fans and explore his world, the more it means to me. Look, there’s no question that it’s a great role. I didn’t fully understand that when I went in, you know? The pressure now is [much bigger]. I feel I understand why there’s the passion. I understand the character and the legacy and I don’t feel, up until this movie, that we’ve completely lived up to that. So that’s what I intend to do.”
Hmm, considering The Wolverine is going to essentially be a samurai-driven vehicle of kung fu madness and minimal superpower usage, I think such grounded and brutal depictions are right around the corner. We’ve seen Jackman take a punch, pack a wallop, and come back to life – but seeing him fight on a human level and understand where some of his fighting skills stem from could prove to be very lucrative to a new franchise, and introduce Wolverine on a level never before fathomed.
I mean OK, we’ve all been secretly (or openly) wanting The Wolverine to distract us from that glorified stinker X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and it appears Hugh Jackman is no different. Wolverine isn’t a foot soldier – but instead a deeply misunderstood and complex character with a rich Oriental background. You bet your ass James Mangold is going to bring that to us, but it’s also nice to hear Jackman echo the same want. Oh yeah, and a trailer for The Wolverine on February 12th? Yeah, I’ll be tuning in!
