You have to give Fox credit, as the studio has been trying to sell X-Men: Apocalypse based solely on the power of the franchise’s new class of mutants, including Tye Sheridan and Sophie Turner as the new Cyclops and Jean Grey. But it was only a matter of time before they returned to their stalwart moneymaker: Wolverine.
Despite months of dancing around the question and some cryptic teases from actors and director Bryan Singer, we now have proof that Hugh Jackman will once again strap on the claws and cause some merry mutant mayhem as Marvel’s most antisocial mascot.
In a tweet sent out this morning, Jackman sent a brief clip of Apocalypse to his 6.37 million followers, complete with a closing shot of those trademark claws looking to do some serious damage.
Jackman’s Wolverine was last seen in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, and his next confirmed appearance was supposed to be in next year’s Wolverine 3, but now we can expect to see him a bit ahead of schedule.
Not that this is any surprise to fans, especially considering Jackman has managed to show up in pretty much every X-Men-related movie outside of Deadpool.
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) April 25, 2016
What Jackman’s role will be in Apocalypse is still a mystery, but you can expect it to be brief. Maybe it will set up the third Wolverine movie, maybe it exists just to ensure a few extra dollars at the box office.
The third Wolverine movie is rumored to be a take on the “Old Man Logan” story line from the comics, which sees an elderly Wolverine battling it out against mutated Hulks and viscous gangs in a post-superhero world. It will again be directed by James Mangold, who directed 2014’s The Wolverine and might include the big-screen debut of X-23.
A new trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse is set to debut later today. Don’t expect a lot of answers to follow, though. Wolverine's role in the movie probably won't be fully revealed until opening night.
Update: You can watch the full trailer below:
X-Men: Apocalypse will hit theaters on May 27.
