• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Logan director James Mangold on killing Wolverine and a possible Hugh Jackman return in the MCU

May 26, 2020 by Gary Collinson

It’s been over three years since Hugh Jackman called time on his career as Wolverine in Logan, and speaking to Comic Book, director James Mangold has been speaking about bringing closure to Jackman’s 17-year spell as the iconic Marvel character and how they reached the decision to kill off the fan favourite mutant.

“The process is a lot less of a committee than you’d think,” said Mangold. “It was really Hugh [Jackman] and I at first. It seemed logical, that if it were going to be his last film, that he’s either going to ride off onto the horizon or die, that you need to have some kind of curtain on his story. That’s a logical assumption, right? You either have the Shane ending where he rides off on the mountain to parts unknown, which had largely been the way his character was resolved in every proceeding movie or you’d kill him.”

“The reason the choice was at our feet was because you needed the sense of closure,” he continued. “You needed some sense of an ending if you were going to end, if you were dealing with the legacy of Hugh’s many performances and many films, and trying to set this part in some definitive way. Frankly, even the studio didn’t even have nervousness about it, because it felt like an event. It gave the movie, on a simple level, the reality that while it may not feature as flamboyant or expensive action as some other movies, that the must see of the movie was going to be because it would be the end of a legend.”

Logan did indeed mark the end of a legend, but of course the X-Men landscape looks very different these days, with Disney having acquired the rights to the property as part of its Fox takeover, and the mutant heroes – and the Fantastic Four – now available to Marvel Studios.

Although he’d previously indicated that he’d be open to reprising the role of Wolverine for an Avengers appearance, Jackman has since ruled out  a return to the character as part of the MCU, and Mangold went on to admit that he would be surprised if we did see the actor back as Logan – although he wouldn’t be against it if the right story came along.

“I’d be startled that Hugh was strapping it on again,” he said. “The thing that I always want to know when I hear this is obviously, on the web, everyone trades in rumors. So, the nugget or the headline becomes the clickbait in the trade so that it would be, ‘Downey’s back,’ or ‘Jackman’s back,’ would be the headline, which people would then debate. What I’d be curious about if any one of these things happened would be, what are they doing with it? Meaning, I would have no qualm about it if someone had a good idea. “If it’s basically, ‘I ran out of money and I needed a big paycheck, and I’m doing an empty film that cheapens the quality of the previous.’ Well, that would be its own sadness.”

Would you like to see Hugh Jackman unleashing the adamantium claws once again? Let us know in the comments below, or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News Tagged With: Hugh Jackman, James Mangold, Logan, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wolverine, X-Men

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, TV and digital content producer and writer, who is the founder of the pop culture website Flickering Myth and producer of the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' and the upcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Essential Horror-Comedy Movies of the 21st Century

The (00)7 Most Underrated James Bond Movies

Johnnie To, Hong Kong Cinema’s Modern Master

Philip K. Dick & Hollywood: The Essential Movie Adaptations

1995: The Year Horror Sequels Hit Rock Bottom?

The Essential Horror Movie Threequels

The Villainy of Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman

Forgotten 90s Action Movies That Deserve a Second Chance

Horror Sequel Highs & Lows

Six Overhated Modern Horror Movies

Top Stories:

4K Ultra HD Review – James Bond: The Sean Connery Collection

Movie Review – Heads of State (2025)

8 Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

10 Great 1980s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies

Movie Review – M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

Movie Review – Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)

Is Denis Villeneuve the Best Choice to Direct Bond?

Movie Review – Hot Milk (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Craziest Takashi Miike Movies

The Essential Modern Day Swashbucklers

10 Great Recent Horror Movies You Need To See

The Gruesome Brilliance of 1980s Italian Horror Cinema

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket