Two years after the premiere of Logan, fans are still taking to social media to call for Hugh Jackman to reprise his role as Wolverine. But having first joined the franchise in 2000’s X-Men, the actor’s run as the adamantium-clawed mutant has already proven record-setting in its decades-spanning length.
With a duration of 16 years and 228 days between his first and last outings as Wolverine, the Australian star holds the Guinness World Record for longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero, though it’s a title he shares with his frequent collaborator Patrick Stewart. The news was broken to Jackman when he appeared on This Morning, where he was presented with a plaque and a celebration in his honor. Fellow record-holder Stewart also offered his congratulations in a video, telling Jackman:
“Hi, Hugh my dear. I have discovered that you and I are now in the Guinness Book of Records. Congratulations, my friend. There’s another thing to hang on your wall.”
It's been a lifelong dream of @RealHughJackman's to become a world record holder, and today we've confirmed he's officially amazing with his very own @GWR title!
We put @AlisonHammond2 in charge of the celebrations, and she didn't disappoint! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/LMuvn23v4Z
— This Morning (@thismorning) February 20, 2019
Technically, Jackman could still extend his run to become the sole record-holder if he only returned for one more Wolverine project, but it sounds like the actor is content to leave the character in the past, and with the Disney/Fox deal on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time until we see someone new in the role.
So far, the fans have offered a few less-than-serious suggestions for who could be next to wield the claws, from Zac Efron to Daniel Radcliffe. Nonetheless, the internet has yet to settle on any clear and credible frontrunners, which is likely a testament to how Jackman made the character his own, making it hard to imagine anyone else as Wolverine.
As for Stewart, the fact that we’ve already seen more than one Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies has perhaps made it easier for fans to accept his departure, though you can expect to see him reprise his other most famous role when the Captain Picard series comes our way.