14 DAY TRIAL // Sad news for X-Men fans: it looks like Jennifer Lawrence isn’t the only one you should get used to not seeing in Fox’s franchise. Hugh Jackman has also been dropping serious hints on social media that he is done with the role of Wolverine.
Right now, the Aussie is rumored to be making a cameo in next year’s “X-Men: Apocalypse,” and he’s been confirmed for the 2017 sequel to “The Wolverine.” He’s never said anything concrete about wanting out, though.
“Wolverine… One last time.”
This is how Jackman captioned an Instagram shot of his hands, with Wolverine’s claws coming out of the knuckles of one: “Wolverine… One last time.” He didn’t add more, but he probably didn’t have to because the fans have been doing all the talking since he posted the photo the other day.
Right now, Jackman’s involvement in “Apocalypse” is just a rumor, so that means that, if he’s in costume, chances are it’s because he’s doing something for the 2017 film. Not counting “Apocalypse” (and we won’t until it’s out and we see a Wolverine cameo in it), Jackman has reprised the character in 7 movies, including 2 standalone pics, since 2000.
Just recently, he was joking that he and his wife had “decided” that he would play the mutant until he died, or at least until Fox called to tell him he was too old for the part. So what changed, the fans are wondering right now.
More importantly, did anything change? Is Jackman really done with Wolverine after this stint, or is he just teasing the fans or deliberately creating chaos online?
A probable negotiation technique
The untitled “The Wolverine” sequel doesn’t come out until March 2017, but for some reason, the thought that another actor might take over from Jackman in following installments is more than fans can take right now.
It could be that this is the future of the franchise: when this film comes out, Hugh will be 48 years old. It will probably be another year or so before work on a new installment starts, which will put him in his 50s.
For every Wolverine cameo / movie Jackman does, there’s intense physical training to be considered, usually lasting for several months before production date - and it could be that Jackman has come to the realization that his body can only take so much.
Either that or Jackman’s contract is up and he wants it renewed, but he also wants some leverage in the upcoming negotiations. He wouldn’t be the first actor to threaten to leave a franchise, more or less in a veiled manner, cause a ruckus online with fans and then get the raise he’d wanted from the start.
WOLVERINE ...ONE LAST TIME. HJ A photo posted by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) on Mar 28, 2015 at 10:40am PDT