Hugh Jackman is currently doing press rounds for Shawn Levyâs Real Steel, which means heâs constantly being asked about The Wolverine. After a rocky start, James Mangold is set to direct the sequel to 2009âs X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which will take place mostly in Japan. Jackman recently talked to Steve a bit about how much of Darren Aronofskyâs original version of the script is intact in this new iteration, and now the actor has revealed that thereâs a possibility that we might see an R-rated version of the film:
âJames Mangold and I talked about [an R-rated version] and weâre like âLook, letâs not put it off the table.â Thereâs even talk about us doing two versions, as in finding a way to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool. But you need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans.â
We got a glimpse of a NSFW Wolverine with Jackman's glorious cameo in X-Men: First Class, so I think everyone would agree that an R-rated Wolverine would be a very good thing. Hit the jump to see what else Jackman had to say about the possibility of going R.
Honestly, the fact that Jackman and Mangold have seriously discussed making an R-rated Wolverine is pretty damn surprising. Most directors wouldnât even float the possibility of making an R-rated version of a big-budget franchise film, let alone a sequel to a PG-13 original. Mangold definitely deserves some credit for not taking the idea off the table. Speaking with MTV, Jackman said that heâs always been fascinated by the idea of an R-rated iteration of the character:
âThere is such great temptation to make an R-rated Wolverine. Iâve always felt that, I know a lot of fans would like that, and if thereâs ever gonna be a superhero thatâs gonna be R-rated itâs Wolverine.â
As great as this sounds, itâs extremely unlikely that an R-rated cut of The Wolverine will be the one hitting theaters. Besides the fact that it significantly lowers the gross ceiling for the studio, Jackman talked about the many, many younger kids (10, 11, 12) who look up to Wolverine as a hero. Though the R-rated version of Wolverine is certainly enticing, Jackman admitted that it would be hard for him to exclude those fans.
Best case scenario, Iâm hoping that Mangold and Jackman go ahead and shoot the R-rated version of The Wolverine and release it as a separate cut on the Blu-ray/DVD. Though it would be insanely cool/ballsy for the theatrical cut to be R, it's definitely not expected. Interviewer Josh Horowitz brought up how Christopher Nolan has been able to make his Batman films extremely dark while still adhering to the PG-13 rating, and Jackman commented that that will definitely be their goal:
âWhatâs R-rated about him is, yeah heâs violent but itâs his attitude thatâs the coolest thing about him. So if you can be inventive and find a way around those laws, weâll try and do it.â
All in all, it sounds like Jackman and Mangold are cooking up a pretty cool Wolverine pic. Production on the film is set to get underway later next year after Jackman wraps Les Miserables.
Hereâs the video of the interview: