Last night's announcement by director Gavin Hood that a deal had been penned to secure him for a follow-up to his upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine film was met with equal parts enthusiasm and confusion by fans and critics alike.
Genre movie aficionados and comic book purists were ecstatic when it was first announced that Hugh Jackman would be reprising his role as Wolverine in an X-Men spin-off film, and critics praised the project when the award-winning director of Tsotsi (2005) was attached to direct.
However, Hood's recent statements have put support of his vision for the franchise into question. Hood said:
I want to explore the legacy of this man, of a man who lives forever. We (all) leave something behind.
So, this character, this feral girl, is something that Logan left behind ... that's come back to haunt him. (For) the choices he's made.
When asked about the character further, Hood called her "Wolverina" and said that he was currently in talks with Jessica Biel (The Illusionist) to play the role:
Jessica's delightful. She's got great instincts and would really be able to flesh out the character.
There is no such character as "Wolverina" in the original Marvel Comics source material, which has left many fans scratching their heads.
Happy April Fool's Day!