Warning: spoilers ahead for Logan! Read ahead at your own risk!
With the release of Logan in March, we not only saw the death of our beloved Wolverine, but the retirement of Hugh Jackman from the role as well. The departures of the character and the actor have left enormous holes in the X-Men world, leading many to wonder whether or not Wolverine could return someday. In the face of those pressing questions, Jackman recently made an appearance on Lorraine to tease The Greatest Showman, and the actor confessed that he believes the character will return at some point, albeit recast with a new actor:
He'll come back, just not with me. Well, except on Saturday nights at my house. I dress up. When my kids are not doing their homework, I dress up and the claws come out. I just have to do that [raise an eyebrow] with the claws and it works!
Potentially recasting Wolverine has become a major fan debate with no definitive answer. Despite the fact that he's arguably the most iconic actor to ever step into a single superhero role, Hugh Jackman seems to think that it's inevitable that someone will take his mantle. Wolvie WILL eventually come back with a new face, and Jackman will be left cosplaying the character around his house with his kids. We can't say that we blame him; the guy has earned some rest and family time.
That said, 20th Century Fox might be wise to wait a few years until they bring a new Wolverine into the picture. The impact of his death at the end of James Mangold's Logan continues to hang over the entire X-Men universe, and I personally think his absence from future movies should be drawn out as long as possible for maximum effect. Besides, the X-Men cinematic universe already has a suitable pseudo-replacement for Wolverine in the form of Dafne Keen's fan-favorite newcomer X-23, so she should receive at least a few years to show us what she can do without her father.
At the end of the day, it really shouldn't surprise anyone that Hugh Jackman thinks 20th Century Fox will eventually find a new Wolverine for the X-Men movies. The character has turned into a silver screen icon like many other classic heroes, so the persona pretty much has to extend beyond a single performer. Jackman continued his explanation on Lorraine by saying:
Definitely someone else will play the role [of Wolverine], it's a great role. You know, it's like a Bond or it's like a Batman, those kinds of roles. Other people will play him for sure.
Of course, that raises questions as to which actor represents the best choice to fill the void left by Hugh Jackman. It's an unenviable task for any performer, which means the producers of the X-Men franchise will need to tread lightly when the time finally comes to recast. It's going to be a complicated process, but we will just have to wait and see who the studio ultimately chooses to inherent the claws and sideburns.
Who do you want to see replace Hugh Jackman as our favorite, clawed X-Man? Let us know in the comments section below! Hugh Jackman will show off his softer side later this year when The Greatest Showman debuts in theaters on December 25.
