RUMOR: Is Hugh Jackman REALLY done with Wolverine?

While there have been some misses in the Fox X-Men franchise, Jackman's Wolverine consistently remained one of the highlights. Fans of the X-Men have generally loved Jackman's portrayal of the wildcard warrior, despite his physical appearance not being comic accurate. Jackman gave such a charismatic and memorable performance to the regenerating and Adamantium skeleton-laced mutant that many fans could not imagine anyone else in the role.

It's no surprise then, that the fandom became hyped when Jackman shared photos that possibly hinted at his return as Wolverine. First was a photo that placed Jackman with Marvel Studios head honcho and chief creative officer Kevin Feige. Later, Jackman shared an image that showed Wolverine's trademark Adamantium claws.

No sooner than the actor had posted the images, the internet became swamped with speculations as to what these photos meant. Did Hugh Jackman meet with Kevin Feige to discuss the possibility of bringing Wolverine to the MCU? Would Wolverine be part of Phase Four? Will Jackman's Wolverine spearhead the imminent arrival of the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper? Will he team up with Deadpool? These and more questions were raised by eager fans.

Moreover, the Phase Four films and projects have opened up the possibilities of bringing over the Fox X-Men franchise as they were into the MCU. WandaVision already played with this idea with Quicksilver, although it was ultimately proven to be a red herring. Loki, on the other hand, introduced the idea of variants and alternate timelines.

In an interview promoting his upcoming sci-fi film Reminiscence, Hugh Jackman also entertained questions regarding the buzz that may be hinting at him popping the Adamantium claws once again.

Regarding the viral photos shared from his social media accounts that started the entire viral speculation, Jackman had this to say: I literally was re-posting fan art and I do it quite a bit because I just love it. And I love the fans. And then I was off doing something and I came back and I'm like, 'Oh, I think I broke the Internet. No, no, no, no. Guys, sorry. Didn't mean that. I really didn't mean that. I'm really sorry.' And I thought, 'No one's going to believe me.' But that was the case. And you guys are just too fast for me. Clearly way too fast and smarter than me. I just love the fans. And so, when cool things come my way, I'm going to pass it on. In a separate interview, Jackman related how doing his last X-Men film under Fox, Logan (2017), made him realize that that film would be his last hurrah as the berserker mutant:

I realized, before we shot Logan, I was like, we got the idea. We knew what it was going to be-ish, right? And I thought this is it. And that really helped me, it really helped knowing I was going into my last season, that it was my last season that I made the most of it. And it's still a character I hold close to my heart. But I know it's done. Tell that to whoever you want to. Please tell it to Ryan [Reynolds]. Because he's like, doesn't believe anything's I'm joking, please. Jackman mentions Ryan Reynolds in this latter interview response, as Reynolds has been been lobbying very actively for his friend to return to the role that made him famous. Reynolds has even poked fun at Jackman's Wolverine in his prior Deadpool films.

With Reynolds already working on the third Deadpool film, and the first that will be officially under Marvel Studios and Disney, would he get his wish for a Wolverine team-up? Hugh Jackman's answers so far seem to be final. Jackman isn't returning as Wolverine… for now But if there is anything true in Hollywood, it is that everything changes. After all, Michael Keaton got lured back into the Bruce Wayne/Batman role for The Flash, and that is a role Keaton last played nearly 30 years ago in Batman Returns (1992).

So it is not impossible for Hugh Jackman to play Wolverine again with the right timing and enough convincing. For now, the actor is content to do other projects such as Reminiscence and Broadway stage plays like The Music Man. Still, that will probably not stop fans from speculating and anticipating rumors that fuel hope of Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine once more.

The official synopsis for Reminiscence: A scientist discovers a way to relive your past and uses the technology to search for his long lost love. Whilst a private investigator uncovers a conspiracy while helping his clients recover lost memories.

Written and directed by Lisa Joy, Reminiscence stars Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, Cliff Curtis, Marina de Tavira, Mojean Aria, Daniel Wu, Natalie Martinez, Angela Sarafyan, Nico Parker, and Brett Cullen. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Reminiscence is set to be released in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service August 20, 2021.