Hugh Jackman is man with a background in musical theater, but is primarily known for essaying the complex character of Logan/Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise and its relevant spin-offs. He shocked audiences prior to the release of Logan when he stated that this would be his last outing as the character, despite rumors that the studio was prepared to offer him a fat paycheck to come back and do one more sequel. Now, in a sit-down opposite veteran actor Willem Defoe in Variety's "Actors on Actors" video series, Jackman reveals that it was in fact comedian Jerry Seinfeld who convinced him, at least in part, to hang up the superhero gear.
According to Jackman's account of the events of his career playing this character, when he was in the middle of deciding what the next move in the Wolverine story would be, he had dinner with Seinfeld, who is a good friend of his. Eventually, the conversation veered towards how Seinfeld decided it was time to end Seinfeld, his eponymous sitcom that ran for nine seasons and is generally considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Seinfeld answered simply, saying that he's "always believed, you should never spend everything creatively because it’s almost herculean to start up again. You should always have something in the tank.'"
It sounds like the kind of strategy that you would be well-served to follow, and that's exactly what Jackman did. He supposedly woke up the next day, knowing the darker, more realistic tone he wanted to take the character in next. He admits that he was "nervous," considering that this effort would be Wolverine's swan song, at least for him. However, with the film being talked about as being one of the year's best, it's hard to imagine Jackman being dissatisfied with the result.
You can watch the entire conversation where both men discuss many topics, including Defoe's role in another Oscar hopeful called "The Florida Project," below. Also, make sure you check out our list of the best superhero movies ever to grace the big screen here and let us know which one is your favorite of all time.