Hugh Jackman’s Most Underrated Wolverine Movie Has Clawed Its Way to Streaming Success

He may be doing it until he is 90 if the rumors are to be believed, but Hugh Jackman’s tenure as Marvel’s Wolverine has already delivered some incredible performances from the one and only person anyone really wants to see playing the character. That has been proven yet again as the most underrated entry in Jackman’s 26 year history of playing the almost indestructible X-Men icon has found its way back into the streaming charts. Delivering a contained and very non-superhero-like story. 2013’s The Wolverine is one of Jackman’s best comic book movies and unfairly forgotten when put alongside his X-Men movies, Logan, and Deadpool & Wolverine. However, it seems that audiences are discovering the sixth entry in the Fox X-Men franchise on HBO Max while they await the actor’s next appearance in the role.

The Wolverine does not feature a world-in-jeopardy storyline or the usual kind of big, loud superhero tone that most of Jackman’s other Wolverine appearances. Instead, the James Mangold-directed film is a tight, dark character-driven story that bridges the gap between X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. With a deep-dive into Logan like no other movie, the film takes the form of a neo-noir thriller set in Japan, taking its inspiration from Frank Miller and Chris Claremont’s 1982 comic book miniseries. In The Wolverine, after a harrowing prologue set at the end of World War II, the main plot finds Logan broken following the loss of Jean Grey in The Last Stand, living a reclusive life in Japan until he is pulled into a dangerous world of ninjas, corrupt politicians, and the chance that he could lose his healing powers forever.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Role Has Been Legendary

From the moment Logan was released in 2017, it seemed that Hugh Jackman had finally hung up his Wolverine claws for good following the death of the character in what is arguably one of the best Marvel movies of all time. However, even after seven movies (and two cameo appearances in First Class and Apocalypse) and 17 years in the role, he had not counted on Ryan Reynolds being able to suck him back into the Marvel world for another run out. Deadpool & Wolverine became his eighth full movie appearance, making him one of the longest serving actors to play the same character. Along with the late Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and several other returning X-Men stars, if he appears in Avengers: Secret Wars as expected, then it could well see him become the longest serving ever. And he may not be finished there, either.

Solo Wolverine Movies	Release Date	Rotten Tomatoes Score	Domestic Box Office	Worldwide Box Office
X-Men Origins: Wolverine	1 May 2009	38%	$179.9 million	$373 million
The Wolverine	26 July 2013	71%	$132.6 million	$414.8 million
Logan (2017)	3 March 2017	93%	$226.3 million	$619.2 million

In Deadpool & Wolverine, it was joked that Jackman would be playing role until he is 90. While it does seem this could be possible, the likelihood of Jackman playing the character for more than the next few years is low. He is expected to appear in at least one of the next Avengers movies, and there are rumors that Marvel Studios want him to continue for at least the upcoming X-Men movie. However, there have also been contradictory whispers that another actor has already been approached and auditioned for the role of the MCU’s Wolverine, although this has not been confirmed either. In the end, fans can only wait and see how the next few years pan out for Jackman and his most famous character. Regardless of what comes next, it it hard to imagine any other actor being able to build the kind of singular legacy that Wolverine has in the world of superhero movies. A big part of that legacy is The Wolverine, and while it may not offer the kind of fantastical saving the world story that many Marvel movies bring, its intense focus on Logan’s character development makes it one that is really worth watching.

Have you seen The Wolverine? How do you think it ranks in Jackman’s Marvel movies. Let us know in the comments.

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