For 17 long years, Hugh Jackman shouldered the burden of Wolverine in such an assured, confident manner that for many, the two are inseparable. And so, after nine memorable performances – yes, we’re counting that wonderful cameo at the tail-end of First Class – with the adamantium claws, it was with a heavy heart that moviegoers bid farewell to Hugh Jackman’s volatile mutant in Logan, the intimate, dystopian drama that closed the book on Wolvie’s saga with aplomb.
But even after such a conclusive, bittersweet finale, many have wondered whether James Mangold and the Powers That Be over at 20th Century Fox will ever circle back to revisit the character once the dust has settled on Logan. Indeed, the former refuses to rule out a potential return, though Mangold seems to be more interested in cultivating a spinoff movie for Dafne Keen’s young mutant, Laura/X-23. For Fox, it’s a little different. Wolverine is such an iconic character for the overarching X-Men universe that the decision to place Logan on the shelf in perpetuity is almost unthinkable.
Indeed, Hugh Jackman himself recently conceded that it’s more a question of when, rather than if a new actor will take up the mantle – “the character will go on,” he explained. Should that day come, though, the Aussie actor will have an input in the casting process. That’s according to X-Men stalwart Simon Kinberg, who spoke about the character’s future during a recent interview with Deadline.
“We haven’t even thought of the next iteration of Wolverine. For all of us, we were keeping our fingers crossed that the audiences would respond to ‘Logan’ the way they have. I can’t visualize in my head another Wolverine, but — if that day ever comes — we would talk to Hugh [Jackman] about it.”
Now approaching the end of its first week, Logan continues to exert its dominance at the international box office. Box Office Mojo reports that James Mangold’s R-rated actioner is currently simmering around the $250 million marker, and things are only looking up.
