Hugh Jackman Reveals How Jerry Seinfeld Helped Him Retire from Playing Wolverine

The Aussie actor explains how the comedian helped him give up the role during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael

Photo: Moviestore/Rex USA

X-Men fans now have someone to blame for Hugh Jackman‘s decision to leave his role of Wolverine after 17 years – and his name is Jerry Seinfeld.

During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael Tuesday, the Aussie actor confirmed he’s giving up his claws after the franchise’s next movie.

When host Michael Strahan asked the star why he was throwing in the towel, Jackman revealed how his good friend Seinfeld helped him part with the iconic role.

“I was having a chat with him about a year ago at his birthday and he was talking about why he finished the end of [Seinfeld] and how it was riding high,” he told the talk show hosts.

“And he said he just always had this feeling or belief that you never know when either your energy or the audience’s energy is going to dip over and people are like, ‘Please! Go!’ ”

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“I’ve been doing it for 17 years, I love it,” he added. “I think the movies are getting better. And all of the sudden, as he was talking to me, I went, ‘This is it.’ ”

Jackman’s name has become synonymous with the comic book hero over the years after he took on the role in all the X-Men films and starred in two standalone Wolverine movies, 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 2013’s The Wolverine.

But don’t despair just yet – Jackman will play the mutant again in an untitled Wolverine sequel set for 2017, and is also rumored to be reprising the part in next year’s X-Men: Apocalypse.