Hugh Jackman Says “It’s Time” to Not Be Wolverine Anymore

Now that Hugh Jackman is done playing Wolverine in the X-Men movies, the actor has looked back fondly at his time as a superhero but is eager to move on in his career.

While speaking with MTV News about how Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has attempted to convince him to return to play Logan once again, Jackman relayed a humorous metaphor indicating it’s his time to leave Wolverine behind.

“When I saw Deadpool, I was like, wow that’s cool. It’s just a matter of time,” Jackman began. “It’s a bit like you’re at the greatest party you’ve ever been at, you’ve been dancing for an hour and a half, and then you’re just like ‘It’s time, ok. If I stay any longer, it’s gonna get ugly.’ It’s like, it’s time.

“And on the way home, someone calls you and goes ‘THEY JUST PUT MICHAEL JACKSON ON! YOU GOTTA GET BACK HERE!’ And a little part of you goes, ‘I like Michael Jackson,’ but then you just go, I want to go to bed.”

Taking the metaphor further, MTV’s Josh Horowitz expands and asked, “So you’re staying in bed?”

Jackman laughed and affirmed the answer, adding that he’s rooting for Reynolds to continue playing Deadpool.

“But I’m cheering for him. You go man. Go dance away. Go for it.”

When asked to make a declaration that he will never play Wolverine again, Jackman refrained.

“I just hate those declarations,” Jackman said. “But I’m done. I’m done. Those things haunt you, in some way they haunt you.”

Jackman added that he’s excited to see what the X-Men franchise will look like in the hands of Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios, praising Feige for his guidance on the original X-Men movie when the producer was working for Lauren Shuler Donner.

“We’ve stayed friends ever since,” Jackman shared, “and nothing makes me happier to know that someone who is purely creative, purely a lover of the legacy of those comic books is this successful.”

“You know, you hear all the time ‘Hollywood’s run by suits’ and I go, ‘Kevin Feige.’ If it’s a suit, it’s got a cape,” Jackman joked.

Disney’s purchase of Fox assets is not yet complete, so fans will have to wait a while before we get to see how Marvel Studios will tackle the X-Men and Wolverine. But it’s nice to know that Jackman is just as excited as the rest of us.