The Wolverine

Logan is the conclusion Hugh-Jackman-as-Wolverine’s story deserves, and it’s one that fans of the character have been waiting for for quite a while. The other two solo Wolverine movies weren’t exactly well-received, although one could make an argument for the quality of 2013’s The Wolverine — you know, the one where he goes to Japan. As it turns out, the emotional, heartwrenching ending of Logan had been planned out ever since one key scene in The Wolverine. [The rest of this post contains SPOILERS for Logan — as in, I am going to tell you the ending. So if you haven’t seen it and don’t want to know, do not keep reading.]

It’s been nearly 17 years since Bryan Singer’s X-Men movie ushered in a new era of superhero movies, and in that time, we’ve seen studios crank through actors with alarming frequency. We’ve seen three Spider-Man, a handful of Batmen, three Punishers across the big and small screens, and dozens of big-budget Marvel and DC movies break records at the box office. In the midst of all this chaos has been Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, the one actor-character combination that seemed immune to bad reviews and flagging box office numbers. And with Jackman set to take one final turn as Wolverine in Logan, the actor is taking a little time to stop and reflect on his impact in Hollywood.

Every new image from the upcoming Logan seems to work as hard as it can to drive the same point home: THIS MOVIE WILL BE DARK AND GRITTY. This superhero movie is not like other superhero movies, because of death and seriousness and a Children of Men-esque color palette. While the constant reminders are getting a little old, it’s still pretty exciting that a superhero movie featuring a character as popular as Wolverine is choosing to go a different route, opting for realism (as much as it can, that is) and emotion rather than becoming a special effects soup. The new Logan poster continues the trend with a design that’s all the more intense for its simplicity.

After selecting the best sci-fi movies of the last 25 years and the best comedies of the last 25 years, ScreenCrush decided the only logical way to wrap up the #CountdownToUltron and Avengers 2 was to choose the best superhero movies of the last 25 years as well. Initially, this was just supposed to be a brief essay. But on an innocent field trip to the world’s most advanced genetics lab, this blog post was bitten by a radioactive list and transformed into the gargantuan piece you see before you. On that day, we all learned a valuable lesson: That with great power must come great listicles.

Hugh Jackman has never been lacking in the muscle department. But for his role in The Wolverine, he wanted to be as jacked as ever. So, what do you do when you need to get huge? You get advice from The Rock. Jackman consulted the Fast and Furious star on a new training regiment and followed it during pre-production, gaining a pound of muscle daily. This is just one of the facts packed into the latest episode of You Think You Know Movies, which follows your favorite Canadian superhero!

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Considering the box office success of The Wolverine and the upcoming release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, few fans were worried about the seeming cinematic immortality (13 years is a long time!) of Hugh Jackman's take on Marvel's least-merry mutant. Still, fans will take comfort in Deadline's report that Jackman, along with The Wolverine director James Mangold, are both in negotiations to return

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Though he didn't have any real input in The Wolverine, writer Chris Claremont will get some say in the next movie based on one of his classic X-Men tales: Days of Future Past.