In the wake of rumors that director James Mangold's Wolverine 3 will bear the official subtitle of Weapon X, many fans of the original Marvel comic book character and feature film protagonist have been left in a state of certain intrigue and added anticipation. Those in the know will remember that Mangold's upcoming film will follow the events of his 2013 movie The Wolverine and the last two central X-Men films (Days of Future Past and Apocalypse), potentially drawing from the Old Man Logan story written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Steve McNiven.

Seeing as Wolverine 3 will (supposedly) mark the final time Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine on the big screen, many comic book readers and casual moviegoers alike are probably wondering just what kind of a goodbye the film will offer to viewers who grew up watching Jackman as the adamantium-clawed character. Now that it's looking more and more likely that Weapon X will be (at the least) part of the official title for Wolverine 3, it appears we'll be getting one final glimpse into the tortured past of Jackman's Logan (in a film that's, ironically, set in the future).

According to X-MenFilms (which has generally proven to be a reliable source of X-Men movie-related information), 20th Century Fox has registered the titles Weapon X and Wolverine: Weapon X for Mangold's film, suggesting the movie's title could be one or the other. The Weapon X comic book series that ran from 2002-2004 included, among other story elements, the introduction of the character Mutant X-23 (or "female Wolverine," as some might call her). Seeing as Mutant X-23 is heavily rumored to appear in Wolverine 3 in some form or another, this lends further support to the idea that Weapon X will be part of the film's title, if not the entire thing. You can check out the original X-MenFilms Tweet, below.

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Given the fact that Wolverine 3 is already being hyped as bearing an R-rating and a "violent western" tone set against a setting to take place sometime in the far future, the possibilities for Mangold and company are seemingly endless in the making of Weapon X. Borrowing simultaneously from the film franchise's well-documented past pertaining to Jackman's character, the new movie should be a fitting tribute to the iconic anti-hero as he has been portrayed on film thus far and potentially pave the way for another young actor to take on the role next (again, see those X-23 rumors). 

It will be a sad day to see Jackman take his leave of the X-Men franchise, though it will probably for the better if Fox wants to continue building and expanding the X-Men cinematic brand for a younger generation of moviegoers hereon forward. Jackman will always be Wolverine in the eyes, hearts, and minds of many filmgoers who grew up in the early 2000s, and Wolverine: Weapon X might just be the most fitting cinematic tribute to that legacy.

NEXT: Potential X-23 Description for Wolverine 3

X-Men: Apocalypse is now playing in theaters. Wolverine 3 opens in U.S. theaters on March 3rd, 2017, followed by unannounced X-Men films on October 6th, 2017 (possibly Gambit), March 2nd, 2018 (possibly Deadpool 2), and June 29th, 2018 (possibly New Mutants). X-Force is also in development.

Source: X-MenFilms