Wolverine Seems To Have A Strong Future, At Least For Now
The third film in 20th Century Fox’s Wolverine spinoff series will be coming out in 2017 and is expected to mark the end of this version of the character’s story. Titled “Logan,” it is almost certain to be Hugh Jackman’s last time in the role, and it could very well end Wolverine’s on-screen presence for many years to come. But where superhero cinema is concerned, we can never be sure when a character or a story is truly over, and there’s always potential for a continuation or reboot of some kind. Keeping that in mind, here are a few possibilities regarding the future for Wolverine.
Jackman Isn’t Actually Done
There’s one interesting thing to keep in mind about “Logan,” and Jackman’s reported last hurrah in the role. That is the fact that, as reported in this article, “Logan” will take place in the future, likely addressing the “Old Man Logan” story from the comics. That means the studio will probably age him up a little bit, and in doing so create a gap in the 20th Century Fox X-Men timeline. That also means there’s no reason Jackman couldn’t appear in later films that actually take place chronologically before “Logan.” He’s said this is it, but again, you never know with the superhero genre.
Fox Re-Casts Wolverine
For all the same reasons just mentioned, we could also simply see 20th Century Fox continue with the character but use a different actor. If the problem is merely that Jackman is hanging up his claws after 17 years, rather than that Fox has run out of ways to keep the character involved, it’s a problem that is easily solved. The internet has already provided suggestions as to who could take up the role, and we have to say that actors like Tom Hardy, Kit Harrington and Jake Gyllenhaal are all intriguing.
Marvel Adopts The Character
Most people think this is an unlikely option because of licensing issues, but Marvel Studios has shown an ability to work around these kinds of obstacles before – most notably with the recent introduction of Spider-Man to the MCU. And it’s not as if there haven’t been hints. For one thing, Jackman himself (along with the Russo brothers, who have directed several Marvel films) has said that he’d love to see the character alongside the Avengers. Additionally, this site has a Marvel-themed roulette game in which Wolverine is featured alongside Iron Man, Captain America and Spider-Man. That’s only a game, but other Marvel games hosted at casino sites have traditionally stuck only to Marvel Studios characters or X-Men—never actually mixing them up together, be it on a slot reel, roulette wheel or some other casual entertainment. It could be the slightest of indications that Marvel Studios is interested in bringing the character into the fold.
Marvel Adopts Jackman
If it does try to secure the rights to the Wolverine character, Marvel Studios could also make a play for Jackman. This seems to be the least likely possibility because it relies on two things that even independently appear to be longshots. However, given Jackman’s aforementioned enthusiasm for the idea of Wolverine joining the Avengers, it doesn’t seem entirely impossible.
It could also be that Wolverine really is done on the big screen for a while after 2017’s “Logan.” But given how popular the character is with fans of all ages, it seems unlikely that he’d simply be left behind as the superhero genre charges forward with as much energy as ever. We’ll just have to see if (and how) the studios find a way to keep him involved.
