Before comic book movies and cinematic universes became commonplace, the superhero genre was given new installments just sporadically. And Fox's X-Men franchise has been going strong since 2000's X-Men started it all. Hugh Jackman played Logan/Wolverine on and off for 17 years, before he took his final bow with James Mangold's Logan.
Hugh Jackman's departure from his signature character has been hard for fans-- Deadpool's Ryan Reynolds in particular. And with Disney and Fox's merger potentially bringing the X-Men to the MCU, the FOMO is real. But Jackman recently described his decision to leave Wolverine behind, and it's pretty hilarious. As he tells it,
When I saw Deadpool, I was like, wow that's cool. It's just a matter of time. It's a bit like you're at the greatest party you've ever been at, you've been dancing for an hour and a half, and then you're just like 'It's time, ok. If I stay any longer, it's gonna get ugly.' It's like, it's time.
What a bummer. While Hugh Jackman seems to be a big fan of the Deadpool franchise, not even the Merc with the Mouth could bring the Oscar winning actor back to Wolverine's shoes. Because after 17 years and seven starring movies, Jackman just needs to hang up the claws.
Hugh Jackman's comments to MTV are sure to disappoint the 50 year old actor's many fans. Hugh Jackman's tenure as Wolverine is what made him a household name, and allowed for critically acclaimed roles in projects like Les Miserables, Australia, and The Prestige. And while Ryan Reynolds is constantly hounding his fellow mutant for a collaboration on the Deadpool franchise, we're all apparently barking up the wrong tree.
As far as his X-Men opus goes, Hugh Jackman has been dancing for way more than an hour and a half. Jackman is arguably the face of the X-Men franchise, as he's been the common thread that pulled together the spinoffs, the first trilogy, and the current franchise. But 20th Century Fox is going to have to pivot away from Wolverine, and focus on other stories to keep the fandom hitting theaters.
The Deadpool franchise is perhaps Fox's biggest cash cow for the X-Men franchise. The R-rated and fourth wall breaking movies have both made a ton of money at the box office, and brought something totally new to the comic genre. Josh Boone's The New Mutants is also hoping to break new ground, combining superheroes and horror for the first time.
Of course, the main X-Men franchise is also still going strong-- even without Hugh Jackman's inclusion. Dark Phoenix is currently in post production, and be the franchise's second go at telling Jean Grey's iconic cosmic storyline.
Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7th, 2019, with The New Mutants currently set to arrive shortly thereafter on August 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
