Hugh Jackman On Why He's Retiring As Wolverine

Logan is to be the final movie starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Now, the actor has spoken about saying goodbye to a part he's been playing for so long.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jackman said about playing Wolverine, "Every time I did it, I wanted to feel excitement about it and real inspiration of, 'Oh, we're tackling something new.' So, I was not sure what that new thing was going to be."

Jackman said he was unsure if it would be possible to find another Wolverine story that he was personally excited about. "I was struggling to work out what that was going to be," he said.

Then one night, he attended a dinner party and Jerry Seinfeld was there. Jackman, wrestling with questions about how much longer he wanted to play Wolverine, asked the comedian for advice. Seinfeld told him his own personal philosophy--and Jackman took it to heart.

Jackman recalls Seinfeld saying to him, "You need to leave something in the tank. If you feel like, 'OK, I think we might have said everything but there is still a little bit left,' then that's the time to go."

Not long after his conversation with Seinfeld, Jackman's ideas for one final Wolverine movie started to accelerate and come together. "When you know, it's a rare thing. When I met my wife, I knew. When I was talking with Jerry that day, I was like, 'Ah, yeah.'"

If this sounds familiar, it's because Jackman told a similar story on late night TV this week.

As for Logan, Jackman said he's never been more personally involved in a Wolverine movie. His work appears to be paying off, as the film is receiving a chorus of praise and is expected to have a big box office opening this weekend.

"I've never felt there was more at stake," he said. "I've never felt a movie to be more personal. I've never been more involved in the creation or execution, even promotion of a movie. I am really invested in it."

He added: "I was really determined that my kids and their kids had a film that could be definitive for the character."

Jackman said he hopes that in 20 years, if one of his grandchildren asks him which Wolverine movie to watch, he can point to Logan and say that one offers the best take on the character.

In other news, Jackman said he might have considered playing Wolverine again had the character joined the Avengers like Spider-Man did.

Jackman isn't the only X-Men/Wolverine veteran saying goodbye after Logan, as Patrick Stewart is ending his run as Charles Xavier, AKA Professor X.

GameSpot's Logan review praised it for being brutal and grim, featuring outstanding performances by Jackman and Stewart.

"Logan continually subverts your expectations, but in its impactful ending, it still somehow feels like the only way the movie--and Wolverine's long journey--could end," GameSpot critic Randolph Ramsay said. "This is a film that elevates its genre, succeeding precisely because it's different, and because it strives to be the Wolverine movie fans have always wanted to see. Logan is a must-watch, and is not only a wonderful superhero movie, but a wonderful movie in its own right."

For more on the critical reaction to Logan, check out this roundup of reviews.