Hugh Jackman gave an emotional and heartfelt response when asked if he would be returning to the MCU as Wolverine. Jackman debuted as Logan aka Wolverine in 2000's X-Men adaptation, quickly becoming synonymous with the role and imbuing the character with a fierce pathos that resonated with audiences. Jackman's Logan became a staple of the long-running X-Men franchise, appearing in both sequels X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. Those films adapted his complicated and tumultuous relationship with Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

Jackman's character was so loved that he would go on to star in three Wolverine solo films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine. Jackman also appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past before going on to star in his final solo film, Logan, an adaptation of the Old Man Logan comics arc and arguably the most beloved of the X-Men films. Jackman's iteration of the character died at the end of that film, seemingly signaling an end to an era, but the actor recently stoked speculation that Wolverine could appear in the MCU. Now, though, it seems that may not be the case.

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In an interview with SR promoting his upcoming film Reminiscence, Jackman was asked about whether or not he would return to the role of Wolverine in the MCU. Ultimately, the actor says that the role is in his past. Jackman expressed how grateful he is for the role of Wolverine, pointing to his relationship with Marvel president Kevin Feige as indicative of how impactful the character has been on his life and other's. Finally, he says that while Wolverine was "the role of a lifetime," that chapter is seemingly closed. Read his full statement below:

It’s in my past, man. Don’t tell anyone, alright?

Let me just say one more thing. Because as I said that, there’s not a day goes by where I’m not unbelievably grateful for having been part of that MCU Universe. Particularly to be there at the beginning of it, and to watch it. To see Kevin Feige going from being an assistant to a producer and a mate of mine, to where he is today. And that was a role of a lifetime.

So, I don’t ever want people to feel that when I say I’m done, it’s a glib thing. It was one of the great chapters of my life.

Wolverine in the woods in X-Men The Last Stand

Jackman is one of, if not the most, recognizable onscreen X-Men characters thanks to his complex portrayal of the gruff Logan. With Marvel introducing the multiverse into Phase 4 of the MCU, it seemed more than possible that Jackman could be making an appearance in the mega-franchise. In fact, with Ryan Reynolds' own mutant, Deadpool, coming over from 20th Century Fox to the MCU, it seemed that another iconic character could certainly make his way over, too.

Additionally, with Marvel planning on introducing the X-Men and mutants into the franchise, it would certainly make sense to have that anchored by a familiar face. Still, Jackman is seemingly right in his assessment in that the chapter for him is now closed on Wolverine. While longtime fans would surely love to see him return in the role, one of the running themes of the MCU's Phase 4 is original heroes passing the torch to a new generation. Having one of Marvel's most iconic onscreen heroes return would seem antithetical to that. However, Marvel should never be underestimated and a cameo or nod to Jackman's character should never be ruled out.

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