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Hugh Jackman: "I Should Never Stop Playing Wolverine"

Hugh Jackman has light-heartedly suggested he wants to keep playing Wolverine for the rest of his life.

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The seasoned Australian actor, who has portrayed the iconic Canadian mutant with anger management issues seven times since 2000’s ‘X-Men,’ told Cigar Aficionado magazine (quotes via E! Online) that he had the revelation whilst watching Michael Keaton’s performance in ‘Birdman.’

"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.’"

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Jackman also remarked he’s constantly striving to better himself in all respects: “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. Every time I play Wolverine I want to go further, physically and emotionally.”

Still, the actor concedes, “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.”

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There’s a particular resonance to these words at this time, given that Matthew Vaughn - director of ‘X-Men: First Class’ (in which Jackman had a memorably brief, foul-mouthed cameo) and co-writer of ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ - remarked that he had initially planned to re-cast Wolverine with a younger actor as he had with most of the other key X-Men characters.

Many (including the actor himself, it would seem) have long pondered just how long Jackman can continue to portray the essentially immortal, un-ageing Logan - although to date the actor seems to be doing a good job defying time.

He was 31 when the first ‘X-Men’ came out in 2000 - but few would dispute he’s never been in better physical condition for the role than in 2013’s ‘The Wolverine’ and 2014’s ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past.’

It remains unconfirmed whether or not Jackman will appear in next summer’s ‘X-Men: Apocalypse,’ but he is scheduled to appear in another ‘Wolverine’ solo movie due March 2017 - by which time he will be 48.

Will this at last prove to be Jackman’s Wolverine swansong? It does seem feasible - though we should stress, only a year ago we were pondering much the same of ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past.’

Jackman will next be seen (sporting an even more striking haircut than Logan’s) in Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Chappie,’ in UK cinemas on 6 March 2015 - and with or without him, ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ will open on 27 May 2016.

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Picture Credit: 20th Century Fox