Hugh Jackman Says ‘Wolverine 2’ Villain is Silver Samurai

Hugh Jackman showed up unexpectedly (or expectedly, depending on how you look at it) near Comic-Con this morning to help promote his upcoming film “Real Steel,” which (most unexpectedly) doesn’t have a panel. In a Q&A, he revealed some details about what he called “Wolverine 2,” including when he’ll shoot the film and who his nemesis will be.
In the promotional interview held at nearby Petco Park (home of the Padres), Jackman told the audience (via Screenrant):

“I’m filming ‘Les Miserables’ in February, but before that I will be filming ‘Wolverine 2’ in October. Chris McQuarrie has written a fantastic script and it should turn out really good. I’ll fight the Silver Samurai in it so that should be exciting. Most of the filming will take place in Japan.”

We knew the film would take place in Japan, but not that it had a shooting schedule in mind. Last we heard, James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line”) was the top choice to replace Darren Aronofsky as the film’s director, but nothing had been confirmed. Expect the film to begin casting next month if this is the case.

With a Japanese backdrop, it makes sense that the Silver Samurai would enter the picture. According to all-knowing Wikipedia, Kenuichio Harada, aka the Silver Samurai possesses the ability to charge things (namely his kitana) with a tachyon energy that can cut through anything — except adamantium, of course. He first appeared in an issue of Daredevil, but has been seen all throughout the Marvel universe. He’s a complicated character, having fought both with and against Wolverine.

When it comes to badass Samurai, it’s hard not to put Ken Watanabe as your No. 1 for the role. That, or if you really know your Japanese-Hollywood crossovers, perhaps Hiroyuki Sanada of “The Last Samurai” who appeared on the final season of Lost.

The film would be on target for release as early as Holidays 2012, but Universal has the similarly themed Keanu Reeves film “47 Ronin” coming out around Thanksgiving already. We just saw Summer 2013 get crowded with superheroes now that “Man of Steel” comes out that June, but 20th Century Fox might still try and squeeze the film into May or even July. May 31, 2013 is open and would be a slot similar to “X-Men: First Class” this year: nearly a month after the first superhero film of the year and two weeks before the second. Those films would be “Iron Man 3” and “Man of Steel.” Wolverine, however, has certainly proved able to hold his own at the box office, so I doubt Fox is too concerned.

Hopefully more “The Wolverine” or “Wolverine 2” details are to come!