Hugh Jackman Wolverine: Will the New X Men Movie Replace Jackman?

Hugh Jackman is having a damn good year. The Australian actor’s getting a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, anchoring the blockbuster Christmas day ensemble movie Les Miserables, and may even get his first Oscar nomination for the role.

But, as the avatar of X-Men’s beloved Wolverine since 2000, in the widely successful film franchise, he may be removing himself from the spotlight.  Following 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the highly anticipated sequel, The Wolverine, is slated to open July 2013, and it could be Jackman’s last turn as Logan.

Early reports of casting for the next installment, X-Men: Days of Future Past, say Jackman is not locked down yet to return.

And why would he necessarily? The Wolverine’s four year journey to theaters played musical chairs with directors, losing Darren Aronofsky for James Mangold, and swapping screenwriter Chris McQuarrine with Mark Bomback. Set in Japan, filming was also delayed, and locations completely reworked (they moved to Australia) following the 2011 earthquake.

Like many films — Adaptation, for example which began as an adaptation of the novel The Orchid Thief, and turned into a movie about how hard it was to make a movie of The Orchid Thief — the final product often bears little resemblance to the original concept.

After such a torturous journey to bring the last film into being, and finally enjoying the critical apex of his career, Jackman just may not feel inclined to put on the fur and talons one more time. But, we sure hope he does.