Hugh Jackman just offered some insight into when the Fox X-Men era will finally come to an end. The Australian star became the face of that universe when the first X-Men movie arrived in 2000, and he went on to appear as Wolverine in nine of the 13 films in Fox’s mutant series. His goodbye in Logan seemed definitive, since the character died on screen, yet he returned as a Wolverine variant from another universe in Deadpool & Wolverine, his tenth outing overall.
In an interview with PBS, Jackman fielded a question about his future in the role and any advice he might hand a successor. His answer, delivered at least half in jest, suggests the era he started will not close anytime soon. The 57-year-old plans to keep playing Wolverine “till I’m 90”:
“I’m 57. I’m doing it till I’m 90. So, you know, I’ll do a little time capsule for them. I’m not going to say anything to whoever plays him, ’cause no one said anything to me, which I really am thrilled about. And I had not read the comics, so I was just coming to it fresh. And I learned a lot over the years.”
Jackman went on to say that he would rather the next Wolverine make the role “their own” than offer that actor any pointers, since nobody gave him notes back in 2000:
“Of course, I’ve got my own take, but it must be melding in with me in some way. I hope someone just comes in and does whatever the f*** they want and makes it their own.”
Fox’s mutant universe orbited Jackman from its first frame to its last gasp, so the era cannot truly close while he keeps popping the claws. Even the prequel cast led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender kept circling back to his Wolverine, whether for a quick cameo or a full co-starring turn in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Jackman’s next appearance may not be far off either. He is heavily rumored, though not confirmed, to show up in Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters on December 18. That movie already reunites Fox veterans Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, and Alan Cumming, and Avengers: Secret Wars follows on December 17, 2027. Marvel Studios has yet to comment on his involvement in either film.
How Will Marvel Studios’ X-Men Differ From Fox’s?
Marvel Studios’ own mutant plans are already taking shape, and they point in the opposite direction from Fox’s approach. Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier will helm the reboot from a script by Michael Lesslie, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige described it as “a very youth-oriented, focused and cast movie.” The studio is reportedly courting younger, lesser-known actors for the roles, a sharp contrast with Fox’s habit of depending heavily on A-list stars.
That youth-first pitch also indicates how different the storytelling will be this time. Feige noted that Fox produced more X-Men movies than there were Spider-Man or Fantastic Four films, yet he believes the comics still hold “sagas within sagas” that never reached the screen. The reboot will likely focus on the ensemble school stories at the heart of the source material rather than another solo vehicle for the team’s most famous member. Fox flirted with that ensemble approach in X-Men: First Class, only to drift back toward familiar faces in the films that followed.
Another interesting detail about Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot is that the MCU’s mutants will exist alongside the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and other Marvel characters. This is a luxury Fox couldn’t enjoy since the film rights were split between studios. The multiverse also gives Marvel a tidy way to honor the old guard in Doomsday and Secret Wars before wiping the slate clean for Schreier’s team.
