Hugh Jackman has had enough of the X-Men franchise… as he reveals that the upcoming sequel to The Wolverine will be his last.
Appearing on the Dr. Oz Show (via Comicbook.com) the legendary Marvel mutant explained that he won’t be returning after the upcoming third Wolverine solo movie.
“This will be my last one,” he said. “It is my last time. It just felt like it was the right time to do it. And let’s be honest, 17 years. I never thought in a million years it would last, so I’m so grateful to the fans for the opportunity of playing it.”
Of course, X-Men fans across the globe are likely to be devastated by this awful news.
But for the time being, there’s no mention of whether or not he’ll appear in X-Men: Apocalypse and if he does head to the upcoming ensemble movie, this gives us another two films with Jackman’s Wolverine.
Although Jackman’s departure may come as a bit of a surprise, it’s no secret that it’s been discussed plenty of times over the years. After all, Logan’s inability to age has given Hugh Jackman a rather finite shelf-life when it comes to the role.
But while we all knew he’d have to hang up those claws one day, we didn’t expect it to be quite so soon. Even if he has hinted at his exit many time before.
Unfortunately, this time it sounds serious.
“I kind of have in my head what we’re going to do in this last one,” he said. “It just feels like this is the perfect way to go out.”
Of course, 17 years is a long time… and that’s how long Hugh Jackman will have been playing the character, since his first appearance in the original X-Men all the way back in 2000. So you can understand why he might want to stretch his legs.
But will 20th Century Fox look for a replacement, or retire Wolverine completely? For now, we’ll have to wait and see… but I can’t help thinking he’ll be extremely difficult to replace.
The third Wolverine movie heads to cinemas on 2 March 2017.
What do you think about Hugh Jackman’s exit? Will the X-Men franchise attempt to replace him? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
