The Wolverine is fast becoming one of the more interesting superhero projects of 2013, thanks in part to director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) and the decision to make a film diametrically dissimilar to its predecessor, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Apparently, another way in which The Wolverine will differ from its predecessor – and assumedly the three X-Men films that preceded it – is in its portrayal of Logan himself. According to star Hugh Jackman, the forthcoming spin-off will feature the “definitive” Wolverine in a way that no film has thus far. Plus, a new rumor is making the rounds claiming that a teaser trailer for the film will be released February 12th.

In an interview with Empire (via Comic Book Movie), Jackman said:

“I still don’t think we’ve seen the definitive Wolverine. And the longer I play the character, the more the desire to get him right grows. The more I speak to fans and explore his world, the more it means to me. Look, there’s no question that it’s a great role.

“I didn’t fully understand that when I went in, you know? The pressure now is [much bigger]. I feel I understand why there’s the passion. I understand the character and the legacy and I don’t feel, up until this movie, that we’ve completely lived up to that. So that’s what I intend to do.”

I’m sure there are a great many fans out there would vehemently disagree with Jackman here. After all, he was the breakout star of X-Men, and his portrayal of Wolverine led to the first (and only) spin-off film based around a single X-Man. That said, I’m sure there are just as many fans who would totally agree with him, though they might not hold Jackman accountable for the discrepancy (height issues notwithstanding).

While the first two films certainly got Wolverine’s rage, loner attitude, and general grumpiness right, some fans were understandably frustrated that the guy constantly got his ass handed to him (courtesy of Mystique, Sabretooth, and Lady Deathstrike). Despite being known for his speed in the comic books, the movie version of Wolverine was a regular punching bag.

The point is, fans of the character have wanted for a very long time to see a Wolverine who was more than just an unkillable brawler with metal claws on the big screen. The Wolverine of the comics can fight. In fact, he regularly wins fights, which is why he’s always telling people that he’s the best there is at what he does.

Hopefully, The Wolverine will give the ol’ canucklehead an opportunity to finally show off some serious fighting skills (in addition to some serious character development), which seems pretty likely considering the movie will be exploring his samurai side.

James Mangold previously said on the subject: “Japanese fighting, Japanese martial arts have had an effect on this movie. And certainly the movie is dripping with Japanese tradition, both cinematically, fighting-wise, and philosophically as well.”

Sounds good to me.

Regardless of your thoughts on whether or not the “definitive” Wolverine has yet been captured cinematically, it’s nice to hear that Jackman is continually striving to do right by the character and his fans. Of course, there’s no greater proof of that than The Wolverine itself. In some ways, it almost seems like an apology for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Are you looking forward to The Wolverine, Screen Ranters? Do you agree with Jackman that the definitive Wolverine has yet to be captured cinematically? Let us know in the comments.

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‘The Wolverine’ Trailer to Debut February 12th?

In other Wolverine news, there’s a rumor – courtesy of Comic Book Movie – that the first trailer for the film will be debuting online on February 12th (and then it’ll appear in theaters before A Good Day to Die Hard on Valentine’s Day).

There’s no telling how much truth there is to the rumor, but seeing as the film’s premiere is just seven months away, we can probably expect a trailer to be released sometime soon.

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The Wolverine is directed by James Mangold, from Mark Bomback and Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay. It stars Hugh Jackman, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Will Yun Lee, Brian Tee, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rila Fukushima.

The Wolverine hits theaters July 26th, 2013. X-Men: Days of Future Past hits theaters on July 18th, 2014.

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