INTERVIEW Logan - last Wolverine for Hugh Jackman
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Actor Patrick Stewar, left, and Hugh Jackman. / Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Korea
By Kim Jae-heun
Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the X-Men film series for 17 years, said his long journey stops here with “Logan,” the tenth installment of the X-Men series which premieres worldwide Tuesday.
The superhero title came to the silver screen in 2000, featuring the Australian actor as a fictional mutant character from Marvel Comics. Appearing in seven more films as Wolverine, Jackman set a record of portraying the same character in the most superhero movies for the longest time in the X-Men movies and their spin-offs. However, Jackman still appear in next year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” that is currently being filmed.
“Yes, this is my last film as Wolverine. I decided to go about two or two-and-a-half years ago just before the initial idea for this movie came,” Jackman said during a live broadcast press conference at CGV Wangsimni, Monday.
“So there won’t be any more with me in it. I feel very pleased with that,” said Jackman. “It has been an amazing role... it will never leave me. I feel part of the family and fans. The role existed for 37 years before I took it on. I am sure many actors will play it in the future and I sincerely hope, in the same way. There have been many writers who’ve taken on the character and added different dimensions to it. I hope it goes on for many more years to come.”
Jackman’s Wolverine in “Logan” is quite different from the previous films as age influenced the mutant’s regenerative capabilities. His face is now covered with deep creases and a thick beard full of grey hair. Logan’s extraordinary physical strength is still incomparable to that of a normal human, but he is not as powerful as he once was.
Wolverine’s decreased superpower makes the audience focus more on the emotional parts of the story. Logan hides his identity in a remote area on the Mexican border, scraping by as a limo driver until one day he comes across, a young Laura Kinney, played by Dafne Keen. The superhero is drawn back into action to protect Laura, who is chased by dark forces.
For his very best effort to portray the emotions of the ailing and aged Wolverine, “Logan” premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 17, becoming the first superhero movie to join the renowned international event.
Jackman said he’d hoped to participate in international film festivals, including the Berlinale when he first planned production of “Logan” with director James Mangold.
“We talked about showing Logan not only in the theaters but also in film festivals and it came true two years after, where we had an honorable experience at Berlin. I thought to myself ‘we did it. My last act in this Wolverine was the best,’” Jackman said.