Hugh Jackman shares future plans for playing Wolverine

Hugh Jackman has shared his future plans for playing Wolverine, revealing that he intends to wield the iconic Adamantium claws for as long as Marvel Studios will let him. 

The 57-year-old Oscar nominee opened up about his enduring relationship with the X-Men mutant, jokingly stating that he plans to keep going until he is 90. 

For fans wondering if he will guide the next person to step into the role, Jackman made it clear that he will not be giving his eventual successor any direction or advice whatsoever when the time comes to hand over the character.

Jackman explained that his decision to stay quiet comes from a place of gratitude for his own experience. 

Speaking to Project Big Screen, the actor said: "I’m not going to say anything to whoever plays him, ’cause no one said anything to me, which I really am thrilled about." 

Having originally landed the live-action role of Logan back in 2000's X-Men without ever having read the comic books, Jackman recalls coming to the project completely fresh. 

While he acknowledges he has developed his own distinct take on the hero over the last quarter of a century, he hopes the next actor ignores the past entirely, adding that he hopes someone just comes in and does whatever they want to make it their own.

The veteran actor has built an incredible legacy with the character, portraying Logan across a staggering ten films over the last 26 years. 

His extensive run includes X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan, Deadpool 2, and the recent 2024 blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine.

While Jackman looks toward his own long-term future with the claws, a massive reunion of his original mutant co-stars is already locked in for Marvel's expanding cinematic universe. 

High-profile franchise stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, and Kelsey Grammer have all officially signed on to reprise their respective roles as Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Beast in the upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to premiere in theatres on December 18, 2026.

This major crossover event comes as Marvel Studios concurrently lays the groundwork for a complete creative overhaul of the mutant franchise.

Director Jake Schreier, who has been tapped to helm the highly anticipated Marvel Studios X-Men reboot, recently teased the progress of the upcoming project. 

While tight-lipped on specific plot details, Schreier told Empire that work has officially started on the film, calling the early stages of development incredibly exciting for the team.