When official stills and posters for James Mangold's The Wolverine first started to leak out, a strange pattern started developing: all of them featured Hugh Jackman without his shirt on. The images made it appear that the movie would feature Logan developing an allergy to shirts. Since then the Australian star has managed to keep his top on in new pictures, but that streak ends today with the latest Tweet from the director.
Mangold sent out the image with the message, "Hiro Sanada and HJ rehearse clash of claws and blades. Hiro is a truly great actor, martial artist and friend." Sanada plays Shingen Yashida, a samurai also known as Lord Shingen, in the movie.
Analyzing the picture, it's cool that you can see a bit of the film crew off on the left side, and that Wolverine's claws look that cool as just a practical effect. It's worth pointing out that the strange nail-bed featured in the trailer is in the background of the shot, suggestion that the set will be not only used more than once, but the setting of some violence.
Based on a script originally written by Christopher McQuarrie and given rewrites by Mark Bomback, and Mangold, The Wolverine is set after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and follows the titular hero to Japan where he is given the chance of a lifetime: to be rid of his immortality. The film will be headed to theaters on July 26, and for a refresher you can watch the trailer again below.
