The production of X-Men: Apocalypse is set to head back to Montréal for reshoots in just a few weeks, and local media is reporting that none other than Hugh Jackman will be on hand, sparking fan excitement that Wolverine may be appearing in the film.
Jackman hasn’t yet been confirmed to be a part of the Apocalypse cast , as Comicbook.com notes. The film wrapped its primary filming in August, but the production will be returning to Mel’s Studio in Montreal during January in order to facilitate the addition of new footage. Le Journal de Montréal notes that the new round of filming is set to last roughly three weeks, and they are confident in asserting that Jackman will not only be present, but also included in the reshoots in character.
Wolverine could be making an appearance in X-Men: Apocalypse. https://t.co/CQPYwpaNV4 pic.twitter.com/2cKMriiALh
— GameSpot (@gamespot) November 4, 2015
An appearance by Jackman as Wolverine has long been rumored for the film, though the studio has yet to confirm or deny any role. Jackman has made it clear that his turn in 2017’s The Wolverine 3 will be his last as the character, however, meaning that a cameo or limited role in Apocalypse isn’t out of the question. While the scope of his potential involvement in the film is not known, Den of Geek points out that should Jackman remain in Montréal for the duration of the reshoots, he is likely to have more than a cameo appearance in X-Men: Apocalypse .
Bryan Singer teases X-Men: Apocalypse trailer… https://t.co/QFIWyfJ0ew pic.twitter.com/77Xt2ChNrZ
— Total Film (@totalfilm) November 3, 2015
With Jackman’s retirement from the X-Men franchise on the horizon, fans have been speculating about the role Apocalypse will play in the larger scope of the series. The growing sense among fans is that Apocalypse will serve less as the conclusion to the First Class trilogy, and more as the beginning of an entirely new era of X-Men films. Director Bryan Singer has seemingly confirmed this, stating that Apocalypse represents the genesis of the “true X-Men .”
#XMenApocalypse Teaser Coming Soon Says Director. https://t.co/n3NgVC2a8W pic.twitter.com/DMcAGC9blM
— Comicbook.com (@ComicBook) November 3, 2015
X-Men: Apocalypse reshoots may include Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine https://t.co/qLJboZhVIJ pic.twitter.com/Z1HXEFaHqU
— IGN (@IGN) November 2, 2015
Singer has been notoriously active on social media, giving X-Men fans unique insight into the production of the new film. Following news that reshoots were scheduled, he posted a picture on Instagram revealing that he is hard at work with editor/composer John Ottman on the film’s first official teaser. Though the first footage from the film debuted at Comic-Con roughly four months ago, the trailer Singer is working on will be the first public reveal of the film aside from production stills. Though no specific date has been quoted, Singer asserts the teaser is forthcoming in the near future, as Coming Soon notes.
X-Men: Apocalypse is hardly the only mutant-centric film on its way to release in the next year, with both Deadpool and Gambit set to hit theater screens. As the highest profile release among the three, the film will usher in a new generation of faces for the X-Men franchise, including Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, and Alexandra Shipp as Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm. It will also introduce a new villain to the series, which has up until now largely relied on Michael Fassbender and Sir Ian McKellen’s performances as Magneto, the defining antagonist. It remains to be seen if the franchise retains that dynamic moving forward (particularly with Magneto rumored to be joining Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen during the new film), but the addition of other iconic villains from the X-Men universe can hardly hurt the series.
X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters in just over six months, on May 27, 2016.
[Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Madame Tussauds]
