Will Hugh Jackman Ever Stop Playing Wolverine?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Hugh Jackman has a complex relationship with his role as Wolverine.
- Fans have eagerly anticipated his return since Logan.
- Jackman’s comments reflect the evolving nature of superhero films.
- Marvel's multiverse allows for new character interpretations.
- Kevin Feige's initial hesitation highlights the significance of Logan's ending.
Los Angeles, Nov 25 (NationPress) Hollywood icon Hugh Jackman has revealed that he will never claim he won’t reprise his role as Wolverine again.
Initially, Jackman announced his retirement from portraying the beloved X-Men character after the release of Logan in 2017, which concluded with the character's demise. However, reports from Variety suggest he wasn’t entirely honest.
After a seven-year hiatus, he made a comeback as Wolverine in the 2024 hit movie Deadpool and Wolverine.
During his recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, he stated, “Every time you’re on a talk show, you have to say, ‘Nope, I’m not doing that again’. But then you end up making another one, and it’s a massive success. So will I have to do it again? Perhaps. I am never saying ‘never’ again. However, I genuinely meant it when I first said ‘never’ until the moment I changed my mind. For several years, I truly meant it.”
According to Variety, during last year's Deadpool and Wolverine promotional tour, Jackman expressed that his desire to stay retired from Wolverine became complex after watching the first Deadpool film.
“I thought, ‘These two characters together? I knew it. Fans have been craving this ever since I donned the claws. So, that anticipation was always present, and I felt it,” he told Fandango. “I called Ryan (Reynolds) and said, ‘Let’s do this’. I hadn't even consulted my agent; I had to later inform them, ‘Oh, by the way, I've just committed to a film’.”
However, not everyone was initially enthusiastic about his return as Wolverine. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, confirmed to Empire that he had advised Jackman against reprising the role.
“I told him, ‘Here’s a piece of advice, Hugh. Don’t come back. You had the greatest ending imaginable with Logan. That’s not something we should reverse’.”
As Marvel fans discovered in Deadpool and Wolverine, Jackman did not return as the Wolverine he portrayed for decades, which ended in Logan. Instead, the Marvel multiverse allowed him to embody a new variant of the character.