I don't know about you, but when I hear Wolverine, at this point I automatically think Hugh Jackman. Funny enough, when I hear Hugh Jackman I think Oklahoma and Broadway, but that's beside the point. Yea, Jackman can sing, but he can also play a badass mutant with claws that pop out of his hands.
When it comes to X-Men, Jackman is Wolverine. He's about the only redeeming part of that entire first trilogy. And he's the only person I want to see in the role. Unfortunately, age will eventually catch up to him, but until it does — Jackman wants to keep playing Wolverine. And even when it does, he wants to keep at the role.
Speaking to Cigar Aficionado (via E! Online), the actor said he was inspired after watching Michael Keaton in Birdman, saying, "I said to my wife, 'The moral is that I should never stop playing Wolverine. I've got to find a way to keep playing him until I die.' I know that someday they'll recast the role with another actor…I'd be happy if the role was eventually recast. It would mean that it had become iconic."
It's not even about the paycheck either, though I'm sure that's a nice perk of the recurring role. For Jackman, it's about pushing himself to be better each time.
"I always want to be in better shape than I was for the last one. I don't believe in stagnation. People say they try to maintain the status quo. But I believe the natural cycle means you're either advancing and getting closer to something or you're receding," he said. "Every time I play Wolverine I want to go further, physically and emotionally."
Jackman confirmed back in December work on a new Wolverine movie due out in 2017. He's also rumored to have a part in the new X-Men: Apocalypse film which opens May 27, 2016.
