It’s hard to imagine a Wolverine on the big screen who isn’t played by Hugh Jackman. X-Men: Days Of Future Past marks his seventh outing as the adamantium-clawed mutant, and he’s already signed up for 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse and a third Wolverine solo outing in 2017. However, he can’t play the role forever, and it will eventually be recast. Recently, Jackman said that he was “99.9% sure” that he would hang up the claws after Wolverine 3, but his stance may have changed now that he’s seen Days of Future Past.
At the film’s Australian premiere, Jackman spoke with IGN and mentioned that he’s having second thoughts about leaving the franchise:
“At one point, you’re right, I said I was pretty sure [that ‘Wolverine 3’ would be my last outing in the role]. But I’m less sure as it goes along. Because after seeing this movie, the whole thing feels fresher to me than ever. And during this movie…I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s kind of like a clean slate, so who knows where it’s going to go. As long as I have the passion for it and the fans will have me.”
After 14 years of Jackman in the role, one thing is clear: the fans will definitely “have” him. The actor has been great as Wolverine and the character has been the backbone of the X-Men franchise, remaining the one constant glimmer of hope in the oft-troubled series. It’s good to hear that DOFP leaves the possibilities for future movies wide open and will give the filmmakers plenty of options for the character. Perhaps he could take a smaller part in the team-ups, like in an X-Force movie, or as a mentor for new, younger mutants, a la Wolverine and the X-Men?
We won’t know which direction the character is headed in for quite some time now, but regardless, it’s good to hear that Jackman is willing to stick around and is still excited about donning the claws and mutton chops.
Tell us, would you like to see Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men movies beyond 2017? Or should they recast him after Wolverine 3? Let us know in the comments below.
