Including his cameo in “X-Men: First Class,” Hugh Jackman has now played Wolverine in seven movies. There may be more of Wolverine in Jackman's past than in his future, but that doesn't mean he's ready to hang up the claws quite yet.
When I sat down with the Australian actor to discuss his role in the new “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” the conversation naturally involved his entire time in the role of the mutant, not just this particular film. After all, he's been doing this for almost 15 years.
It really is quite an amazing streak, and Jackman absolutely left open the door to coming back in 2016's “X-Men: Apocalypse.” When I asked specifically about whether there was a chance he'd appear in it, he stated, “There”s a chance, yeah. I had a great time doing ['Days of Future Past'].” At that point he reiterated something he's been saying for a while now, which is that it's all about the script and the character and that if he feels the movie is going to be good, he'll be there. He also made it clear that he's not tired of doing it saying, “I'm loving it more than ever.”
On the other side of things, he said he wants to try to go out on top. He noted Jerry Seinfeld's ending of the comedian's NBC sitcom as an example of doing just that. Additionally, he said, “I love the character too much, I respect the fans too much, to go on beyond where it should go.”
Wisely though, Jackman acknowledged that going out on top is a tough thing to accomplish because when you are at the top you're always pretty convinced you can keep doing what you're doing.
In about a week and a half, you will be able to judge just how Jackman is doing as Wolverine for yourself — “X-Men: Days of Future Past” arrives in theaters on May 23rd.