Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years, beginning as a relatively unknown actor brought on last minute to replace Dougray Scott in 2000's X-Men.
But now that epic run of nine films – in which Jackman has come to inhabit the hero for a generation of cinemagoers – has come to an end in Logan.
So what's next for everyone's favourite hard-drinking bruiser of a superhero? Here's a timeline of what the big names involved have said.
(Warning: Contains spoilers for Logan)
Pre-2012: Wolverine could have been recast for X-Men: Days of Future Past
Matthew Vaughn was originally in line to come back for a second film after X-Men: First Class. He was replaced by the returning Bryan Singer after he chose to direct Kingsman: The Secret Service instead (although he was still credited as one of Days of Future Past's writers).
Vaughn explained to MTV that he had wanted to cast a new actor as a young Wolverine. His comments are a bit confusing but seem to amount to this: 2014's Days of Future Past would have been delayed for an interim X-Men film with this new Wolverine. Then when it came to releasing Days of Future Past they could have featured interactions between Jackman's older Logan and the new, younger one.
Obviously that never came to pass. If it had, there would be an obvious candidate to replace Jackman as the full-time Wolverine.
February 2014: Hugh Jackman thinks recasting is "inevitable"...
On the set of Days of Future Past, Jackman was asked by IGN whether he had ever been a part of a conversation about recasting the role. He revealed that he didn't know Fox's plans, but pointed out that getting a new actor to replace him was "inevitable".
"I'm sure they had the discussion," he said. "They didn't mention it to me, obviously! Look, that's inevitable, man. Anyone who thinks they're indispensable in this business is fooling themselves."
January 2016: ...but Bryan Singer said it was "impossible"
Singer and writer/producer Simon Kinberg dismissed the idea of getting in a new actor to play Wolverine when Digital Spy spoke to them on the set of X-Men: Apocalypse.
"I do think you would want to figure out how to tell more Wolverine stories," said Kinberg. "So either we would try to entice Hugh to come back and eat more chicken and work out for a few months, or we would have to figure out a creative way to move forward.
"Honestly, I can't imagine anybody else playing the part, and there's not too many characters I can say that for."
Will Fox really leave Wolverine – the most popular and profitable X-Men character – sitting on the shelf forever? Well, Marvel Comics killed off their main version of Logan, and he stayed dead for a surprisingly long time.
Still, they've brought in a female replacement and alternate future version of Wolverine in the meantime to satisfy the endless demand for more Canadian berserker action. And there's no doubt whatsoever that the original Logan will eventually be back.
The same goes for movie Logan. He might be gone for a while, but a long-term X-Men franchise without him seems highly improbable. One way or another, we highly doubt that he'll stay dead.
February-May 2017: What they said after Logan
Logan is now out in the world, and Jackman is still sticking to his original line, saying shortly before its release that "the character will go on".
"Someone else will play it, for sure," he told The New York Times, which he's fine with "unless Daniel Day-Lewis plays him and wins the Oscar — then I might have a little problem".
His current pick for a replacement is Indian star Shah Rukh Khan, which is sure to win him some friends in Bollywood.
But Logan producer Hutch Parker thinks that if they do replace him, it won't be anytime soon. "... I don't foresee anything in the near future with regard to that," he told ComicBook.com.
Hutch later added to CinemaBlend that "the idea of casting someone else as Wolverine is just not something I can think about".
"There's part of me that thinks that he's done such a brilliant job and is so iconic in the part, that we should leave it alone," he continued. "And yet, I know there's always a possibility that either we find a story, or a situation comes along where you think, 'OK, maybe we should consider that'. But at the moment, we're kind of leaving that alone."
September 2017: No commitments
The latest word on Wolverine came from Fox CEO Stacey Snider, and she isn't ready to say anything concrete about the character's future.
When asked about casting a new actor in the role by Variety, she said, "Anything's possible." Fox aren't ready to announce their plans for the most popular comic book character they control, clearly.
He's alive in the comics again, so surely it's only a matter of time...
October 2017: We could get a female replacement
Singer previously threw the idea of a female replacement for Jackman's Wolverine into the mix, apparently as a member X-Force's spin-off X-Men team.
"I have discussed that with the studio," he told Fandango. "I actually initially pitched the X-Force and the female."
Obviously, Logan already introduced Wolverines daughter/clone/whatever in the form of Dafne Keen's Laura. She's based on X-23, the current, aforementioned in-comics replacement for the dead Wolverine.
Now it has been revealed that Logan director James Mangold is developing a solo movie with starring Keen as Laura. Perhaps Wolverine lives again already – and, if they want, a bit of time-travel finagling could unite her with the other X-Men.
Meanwhile, Jackman spoke about meeting Dougray Scott (who was originally cast in the role) and how gracious he was about missing out. Jackman said that he hopes he can be as cool about the role of Wolverine going to another actor (spoiler alert: he totally can), likening it to James Bond and various iconic superhero parts.
"I met him early on and I said to him, 'Man, I am sorry'," Jackman told The Hollywood Reporter. "And he said, 'It's just business, but you have just gotten one of the greatest roles out there, so go crush it'.
"I just remember being so impressed by that and his class, and hopefully I am a big enough guy that when someone else takes over, I will do exactly what was done to me... and I feel glad to just be a part of the legacy of that character. I feel great parts — great characters out live the actors that play them. Bond, Superman, Batman... so, there you go."
January 2018: The Winter Soldier wades in
A rumour that Jackman actually could be returning arrived via an unlikely source – the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan.
"Recently I happened to be sitting next to Hugh Jackman," the actor said at Ace Comic Con. "I didn't know what other awkward thing I could talk about but to be like, 'Am I going to see you soon?' I don't know.
"But he said a couple of things to me and I'll just leave it at that. Otherwise, I feel like I'm going to get into trouble with somebody.
"I asked him because I kept thinking... Logan was supposed to be the last Wolverine thing or whatever and he said to me, well I think he publicly said out there, which was like he's been thinking about it and it's been on his mind. So, I don't... he may be."
To be honest, Stan doesn't seem so sure, and neither are we.
May 2018: A Wolverine/Deadpool crossover?
Jackman may not be into the idea of returning as Wolverine, but Ryan Reynolds still is, and the release of Deadpool 2 gave him the chance to return to a favourite topic – the idea of a team-up between Logan and Wade Wilson.
"[Wolverine]'s alive and well in my timeline," Reynolds said. "There is a Logan running around out there with a little bushy chest and his little sharpy, sharpy claws, and he is alive and well and ready to go. I would love that."
Alas, he also admits that a Wolverine/Deadpool movie might be "an impossible feat".
"There's no human being I love more than Hugh Jackman in that universe, and equally so as a friend," Reynolds continued. "He's just the best. I already miss him as Logan, so I'm one of those guys that whenever I see him, I'm like, 'Come on, man. Just one more. Come on. We'll do it together. It'll be fun. Come on! On three. Here we go, together. One, two, three, together', and it's always just me saying it."
Nevertheless, Jackman acknowledged the suggestion – but joked that Reynolds shouldn't come on too strong.
"I'd like to send a little message for Ryan," he said on Good Morning America. "Ryan, I love you, Man. I love Deadpool – I can't wait to see the movie, you're one of my best friends.
"But just back it up a little, play a little hard to get – it's too much, it's not sexy, am I right? Sorry about that."
November 2018: Do we really want a crossover?
For all the talk of a Deadpool crossover, Jackman doesn't think that it's something that people really want.
"[Ryan] keeps coming back to me in all these ways, shapes and forms," he said. "I just said, 'You know, I just don't think the world really wants to see Deadpool with Wolverine.'
"Maybe a cameo from Deadpool? I just think it runs over it for Deadpool."
We're not entirely sure that Jackman's right about that, but it doesn't give us much hope for his return.
He also reiterated his belief that the role of Logan will be recast sooner or later.
Bonus: The odds on potential Wolverine replacements
We spoke to Ladbrokes about the current odds on a replacement Wolverine. It looks like Jackman's recent comments have definitely influenced the top contender. Aidan Turner will clearly be too busy playing James Bond to stand a chance:
- Shah Rukh Khan 6/4
- Luke Evans 3/1
- Tom Hardy 4/1
- Scott Eastwood 6/1
- Travis Fimmel 10/1
- Jack O'Connell 10/1
- Toby Kebbell 12/1
- Michiel Huisman 12/1
- Aidan Turner 14/1
