With this summer’s The Wolverine, we finally got a standalone film for one of the most popular X-Men characters that actually did the titular mutant justice.  Director James Mangold and Hugh Jackman crafted a Western throwback that honored the spirit of the character while bringing a more intimate approach to the superhero genre—for once our hero wasn’t working to save an entire city (or the world) from destruction.  Audiences responded positively to the tune of $414 million worldwide, and Fox appeared to be happy with the film as well, as we learned last week that the studio is in negotiations with Mangold and Jackman to return for another Wolverine film.

While very few details were revealed in last week’s report, Jackman has now spoken up a bit with regards to a potential The Wolverine follow-up, noting that he’s been talking with Mangold about ideas but he won’t be moving forward until they stumble on something great.  Read on after the jump.

the-wolverine-2-hugh-jackman
Image via 20th Century Fox

Speaking with EW, Jackman “neither confirmed nor denied” whether he has officially signed on to reprise the Wolverine role in another film, but he did offer up this tidbit:

“I was on the phone with Jim Mangold last night. There are some really cool ideas that I’m dying to tell you, but that would be giving away a secret that is not even [fully] formed yet.”

Apparently Jackman's deal with Fox ends after his appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past so his contract will have to be re-negotiated, but the actor was quick to point out that he's been working movie-by-movie since X2.  One thing that is clear is that, should a follow-up come to fruition, the team behind The Wolverine will almost certainly be reuniting in full:

“I do want to do it with Jim and with [producer] Lauren Shuler-Donner because we had such a great experience. I’m really proud of The Wolverine.”

That being said, Jackman noted that they won’t be rushing another film out with a half-baked idea:

“I don’t want to dive into another one until we have a compelling reason to do another one. I love the character, he’s kind of like a best friend to me, and I don’t ever want to take [him] or the fans for granted. … I think we’ve got a great opportunity to make something really cool, but it has to be great. That’s what we’re all working toward.”

While Fox would obviously like another Wolverine film to come to fruition sooner rather than later, it’s nice to know that Jackman is focused on making sure the next feature is a worthwhile endeavor.  I imagine we’ll hear more about the future plans for the X-Men universe once X-Men: Days of Future Past opens in theaters next May.

the-wolverine-james-mangold-hugh-jackman
Image via 20th Century Fox