It's been more than a year since Hugh Jackman retired as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise. New reports now say that Disney and Marvel are keen to introduce his replacement as soon as possible.
The studios are apparently eager to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The bosses want a young actor to take over the role since there are bigger plans for Wolverine in the franchise.
According to a Slash Film, X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner revealed to the Television Critics Press Association panel that Marvel, through its big boss Kevin Feige, has shifted its focus on the X-Men franchise. Now that Disney's merger with Marvel is nearly completed, Feige is apparently ramping up the search for Jackman's replacement as the MCU is getting bigger.
The decision, however, is not a surprise since Jackman decided to retire following his final outing in the 2017 film "Logan." Donner told the press that the physical demands of playing Wolverine have started to take a toll on the actor, who's in his '50s.
The producer also revealed that it was wise for Jackman to give up the role and to acknowledge his physical limitations. However, Donner also hinted that the door isn't completely closed, which means Jackman may still possibly play the character as a much older man if it's needed in the script.
In the meantime, speculations are that the younger Wolverine is joining the MCU's Phase 5, which is expected to play out two years from now. But according to Screen Rant, it might do the studios better to hold off re-introducing the character because, at this point, the audience still can't see anyone else playing Wolverine but Jackman.
Jackman's "Logan" was the strongest film in the X-Men franchise, in terms of box office returns. The actor has also played the character for 17 long years (2000 to 2017) that bringing a new guy as his replacement this early might draw some unfair comparisons from the fans. Whoever is replacing Jackman will have some really big shoes to fill.
Meanwhile, Jackman is currently on his World Tour. The talented actor will visit be flying to Europe and North America until July to perform numbers that he made famous in his other movies such as "The Greatest Showman" and "Les Miserables."
A trained stage actor, Jackman will also be performing Broadway classics in his World Tour. He will be accompanied by a live orchestra.
