Jack's All Folks: What Does The End Of Wolverine Mean For Hugh Jackman?

Is there life after Logan? Hugh Jackman is officially hanging up his adamantium skeleton after 16 years of playing the grizzly menace Wolverine. We have followed him across the Canadian Rockies, to Alkali Lake, the Statue of Liberty, and even a trip back to 1973, so sorry if we are a little sentimental in laying Jackmanverse to rest. I mean c'mon, he was so good in his role that they even kept him for the sequels, prequels, reboots and remakes — it is hard to picture anyone else in the role of Logan, and I feel sorry for the poor son of a bitch who has to try *sticks middle claw up*.

It may be time to put this wild stallion out to pasture, but what is next for the Aussie Alpha Male? While a post-super career can land you in the comedy sequel hell (Dolph Lundgren), it isn't all doom and gloom — here are some of Hollywood's heroes and villains who have hung up their capes for better things.

1. Hollywood Highs

While you may have landed your super-feet firmly back on the ground, there are those superheroes who just can't leave the bright lights of tinseltown behind. Jackman already has an impressive catalog of films under his X-belt, including Les Misérables, Australia, The Prestige, and Swordfish, so we doubt he will be dropping off our screens into oblivion any time soon. Let's look at some of the other famous faces who have stayed rolling in box-office figures.

Scarlett Johansson

Starred as: Black Widow in Iron Man 2/The Avengers/Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Avengers: Age of Ultron/Captain America: Civil War (2010 - present).

Went on to: Hitchcock, We Bought a Zoo, Her, The Jungle Book, Ghost in the Shell.

What doesn't ScarJo do in between slipping on that skintight lycra? Everything from Spike Jonze's futuristic AI analogy Her, to voicing the wily Kaa in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book. As well as being Hollywood's highest paid actress, Johansson is constantly splashed across the front page for being one of the "sexiest women alive." However, she hit the press for the wrong reasons when caught up in a whitewashing row for the upcoming adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. It is unclear if we will ever get a Black Widow solo-film, but out of all of comic book's current heroines on our screens, she probably deserves it most!

Eric Bana

Starred as: Bruce Banner/Hulk in Hulk (2003).

Went on to: Troy, The Other Boleyn Girl, Hanna, Star Trek.

Oh dear, the "not so" mean, green, fighting machine that is the black sheep of the Bruce Banner lore. Luckily 2003's poorly received Hulk didn't stop Eric Bana from Hulk-busting into Hollywood. While his career hasn't been as prominent as some, and he isn't always grabbing the headlines — Bana was superb as the skilled CIA operative in 2011's masterpiece Hanna. More recently, 2017 sees Eric star in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, another reimagining of the Medieval tale, with Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Starred as: Hit Girl in Kick-Ass/Kick-Ass 2 (2010-2013).

Went on to: Hugo, Carrie, Movie 43, Bad Neigbors 2.

One of those increasingly rare child actor stars, Chloë Grace Moretz has come a long way from starting in The Amityville Horror. She came twirling onto our screens as the spunky Hit Girl in Kick-Ass and its sequel. Post-comic book she has done everything from horror to comedy, with a (previously) full IMDb roster ahead. Moretz shocked fans when in early 2016 she announced that she was dropping out of all upcoming films to focus on herself:

"I pulled the plug on all my movies because I want to reassess who I am and find myself within my roles again."

She has assured us she will be back, but in the meantime we will have to do without her sticking on a clam-shell bra for the live-action Little Mermaid!

MIchael Keaton

Starred as: Batman in Batman/Batman Returns (1989-1992)

Went on to: Jackie Brown, Jack Frost, Toy Story 3, Robocop, Spider-Man: Homecoming

For a whole generation, Michael Keaton was the definitive Batman, for the rest he will always be Beetlejuice. Keaton's version of Burton-Batman gave even Adam West a run for his Batmobile, taking the series on a brave new outing. After his two-film stint as the Caped Crusader, Keaton was out, and moved onto the likes of Tarantino's gritty Jackie Brown. He has had somewhat of a resurgence recently — while it may not have been for everyone, Keaton soared in Birdman. He is set to fly again as Adrian Toomes, aka Vulture, in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

2. Terrific TV

However, if Hughie want's to take the other Hugh's route and go full House, perhaps television is his favored route. Seemingly the most popular category of late, how many supes have swapped the big-screen for the comfort of our living rooms? With the arguable Golden Age of television back, networks and VOD platforms have boosted the careers of some stellar Hollywood actors. Here are some who prove you don't need powers in the great ratings battle.

Wesley Snipes

Starred as: Blade in Blade/Blade II/Blade: Trinity (1998-2004).

Went on to: Brooklyn's Finest, The Expendables 3, The Player, Chi-Raq.

With his long coat and heavily-tinted glasses, Wesley Snipes was synonymous with Marvel's vampiric tough guy. There was that small blip between 2010 and 2013 where Snipes found himself incarcerated for income tax fraud, but he hasn't let it stop him. Since leaving prison he has joined the hallowed ranks of the Expendables boys, and starred in his own TV show The Player. It may have only lasted for one season, but the story of Snipes's mysterious pit boss Mr. Johnson proves that it isn't just battling the undead that keeps him in work. While Snipes has always expressed an interest to return to Blade, it is more than likely that a reboot/remake would see someone else take on the role.

Ron Perlman

Starred as: Hellboy in Hellboy/Hellboy II (2004-2008).

Went on to: Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy, Hand of God.

Even though he managed to shed his red devil skin, Ron Perlman still gets typecast as Anung Un Rama — the red horned demon baby of Hellboy. One of the most impressive careers since departing the superhero genre, Perlman quickly moved onto FX's biker battle Sons of Anarchy. For six seasons of the show he played Clarence "Clay" Morrow, the International President of the motorcycle crew. As well as live action, Perlman has featured in cartoons like Archer and New Teen Titans, as well as lending his voice to video games including Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Fallout 4. Whilst promoting the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at Comic-Con, Perlman seemingly put a nail in the Hellboy 3 coffin:

"We don't talk about that anymore. Because [del Toro's] busy, and I'm busy. Maybe one day he's going to call and say, 'Hey, let's do it.' But for right now? We're happy discovering new worlds to conquer."

Never say never Ron!

Patrick Wilson

Starred as: Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II in Watchmen (2009).

Went on to: The Conjuring, Insidious, Fargo.

After gaining 25lbs to play Nite Owl in Watchmen, Patrick Wilson soon swapped heroes for horror. He has starred in two Insidious films and two Conjuring's, with the latter becoming one of the most successful horror films ever. However, for a true look at the man's acting talents we look to the smaller screen. Wilson became the lead in the second season of thriller-anthology Fargo, playing a young version of retired police officer Lou Solverson. Alongside a cast of Kirsten Dunst and Ted Danson, Wilson shined at rightly deserved his Golden Globe nomination.

James Marsden

Starred as: Scott Summers/Cyclops in X-Men/X2/X-Men: The Last Stand/ X-Men: Days of Future Past (2000-2014).

Went on to: 30 Rock, Anchorman 2, Westworld.

We may still be mourning the loss of Cyclops in Brett Ratner's third X-Men outing, and although James Marsden cameoed in the role for X-Men: Days of Future Past, he has now well and truly been replaced by Tye Sherridan as "young" cyclops. As Hugh Jackman will tell you, being a member of the X-Men isn't all it's cracked up to be. As Liz Lemon's love interest/eventual husband in the final two series of 30 Rock, Marsden developed a taste for TV. Now he is gunned down on a weekly basis thanks to HBO's Westworld, a sci-fi trip into a robotic theme park. Although it is only part way through its first series, signs are promising for a renewal and plenty more muscular Marsden on our screens!

3. Sticking to what you're good at.

When all else fails, just stick to playing a superhero. Hollywood is full of stars who just can't seem to leave their crime fighting morals/evil schemes at home. If Jackman is going to stick to the super-powered genre, there are a ton of characters who need rebooting. Let him keep that Wolverine leather and stick him on Johnny Blaze's demon cycle for a real Ghost Rider. While you mull that over, here are the other actors who stuck with what they knew — to great results!

Ryan Reynolds

Starred as: Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).

Went on to: Deadpool (2016).

The ultimate comeback kid, Reynolds not only returned to playing a superhero, but returned to playing THE SAME superhero. He also has the accolade of desecrating not one, but two supers, thanks to his turn as Hal Jordan in Green Lantern. Somehow Reynolds's ruined Deadpool of X-Men Origins became a thing of legend, with directors everywhere saying we should just pretend that it never happened. Therefore hopes were pretty low when going into Deadpool, but boy do Fox know how to turn a film around. Although Tim Miller may have quit Deadpool 2 over "creative differences" with Reynolds, you can bet your bottom dollar that the sequel will attempt to top its predecessor. Not bad considering this comes from the same studio that sewed the Merc with a Mouth's smiler shut.

Josh Brolin

Starred as: Jonah Hex in Jonah Hex (2010).

Went on to: Men in Black 3, Oldboy, Avengers: Infinity War.

Proving that sometimes you should stick to being a big angry man, Brolin's arrival in the MCU will make his performance in Jonah Hex look like a burnt scar on the horizon. Frankly, Brolin hasn't strayed much from his usual path of being a rough and tough macho man — he took on the lead role for the imagining of Park Chan-wook's Oldboy, and played a young Tommy Lee Jones in the third Men in Black film. While we have been waiting foreverrrrrr for Brolin to take the reigns as galactic overlord Thanos, the 48-year-old finally gets to show his credentials in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.

Ben Affleck

Starred as: Matt Murcdoch/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003).

Went on to: Argo, Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad

Finally, rounding off the trio of "boy done good," Ben Affleck's return to superhero stardom. As well as a talented director, the actor has shunned his rose-tinted spectacles of playing a superhero for even darker times. From the stumbling days of blindly playing Daredevil, and starting from Batman v Superman, Affleck is seeing clearly now as Batman/Bruce Wayne. While many herald the Nolanverse as the ultimate Batman incarnation, Affleck is doing his best to prove them wrong. Taking a typically Zack Snyder stance on the role, Affleck's version of Bruce is an older and more hardened version. His portrayal was a rare star in the maligned clash of superhero titans, and I personally cannot wait for another Batman standalone.

Not that we ever thought that he was down for the count, Jackman is sure to continue long after Logan. With an IMDb full of productions until 2018, Jackman's next role sees him take on the part of P.T. Barnum, founder of the circus empire, in the biographical drama The Greatest Showman on Earth. It is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, or for that matter, an old Wolverine. Here's lookin' at you bub!

[Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Rant]