Hugh Jackman has appeared as Wolverine in nine X-Men films since the original hit movie screens in the summer of 2000. And though the actor has said time and again that his appearances as the fan-favorite character are behind him, he may be singing a different tune now.
Two recent posts on the actor’s Instagram offer a tease that Hugh Jackman may return to the iconic role, according to Comicbook.com.
First, Hugh Jackman posted a piece of fan art of Wolverine’s claws, and soon after, posted an image of himself with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. While the photo of the duo was taken back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, it still sparked rumors, especially now that Disney is involved with Marvel and the MCU. The actor has said in the past that had Disney owned the rights to X-Men, his thinking may have been different.
“If seven years ago that had happened, I’d be like, ‘Oh yeah!’ but I knew it was the right time for me to leave the party—not just for me, but for the character,” Hugh Jackman said upon Disney’s acquisition. “Somebody else will pick it up and run with it. It’s too good of a character not to. It’s kind of like, you’re on your way home and your friend rings you and goes, ‘Oh, dude, a new DJ just came on and the music is awesome, are you going to come back?’ And you say, ‘Sounds good but… no.’ They’re fine with someone else.”
Considering the MCU has been preparing for a multiverse, there’s still a way for Hugh Jackman to be back and still have his desire for someone else to take over the claws of Wolverine. Fans would certainly love seeing Jackman passing over the torch to a younger actor, even if meant just a cameo and a chance to see the real Wolverine one last time.
