There's been a lot of change predicted for the X-Men cinematic universe going forward, but there's one thing you can bet your bottom dollar isn't going to change so long as Fox has got him locked into a contract: Wolverine will always be around, and Hugh Jackman will always be playing him. In the comics it became a bit of a running joke how many different teams Logan was in and how many titles he headlined, which are coming to an end with a current storyline which will see him "killed off" (for a little while, anyway); still, in the funny books he existed as part of a larger ensemble, whileas in the films he has quickly shifted into being the lead, both in the team movies and in his solo spin-offs X-Men Origins and 2013's The Wolverine. For many, Jackman is the face of the X-Men cinematic universe. He's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is make Fox a heck of a lot of money. So it stands to reason that he's already pencilled in to star in another solo film once Apocalypse has been dealt with, and that the sequel will be inspired by any other popular Wolverine stories from the comics. Last time they adapted the classic Chris Claremont/Frank Miller series, and the Origins movie already dealt with...well, the origins, so where they go next is anybody's guess. What you can be sure about is that he'll be around even if the rest of the original ensemble are recast, or else dropped from the roster; perhaps he could settle into a role similar to recent comic Wolverine And The X-Men, where he struggles with becoming principal of the Xavier school and helps to raise the next generation of mutant heroes...?
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
