'Wolverine' R Rating Not 'Off The Table,' Hugh Jackman Says

After months of delayed start dates and a change of directors, the best thing Wolverine fans have going for them is a star who is just as eager to get the man with the adamantium claws back on the screen. Hugh Jackman stopped by MTV News and gave an update on "The Wolverine," its potential R rating, whether any familiar faces from the Marvel Universe would show up and a new hint about the setting. As of now, the darker follow-up to 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has a director in James Mangold but no definite start date. So what should fans expect from "The Wolverine" once filming begins in Japan? First of all, there will be more locations. "Not all of it takes place in Japan. That's my other little tip for you," Jackman told MTV News' Josh Horowitz. Japan, up until now, had been a focal point for the concept of the film, which centers on Logan's encounters with samurai. How Wolverine's native Canada plays into the equation is yet to be seen. Any talk of taking the franchise "darker" is going to welcome the follow-up question, "Well, how dark?" In the case of "The Wolverine," many older fans have held on to the hope of a more realistic, R-rated sequel, as sharp objects like adamantium claws tend to result in blood. "There's such great temptation to make an R-rated 'Wolverine.' I've always felt that, and I know a lot of fans would like that," Jackman said. "If there's ever going to be a superhero that is going to be R-rated, it's going to be Wolverine." And while an R rating isn't "off the table," there are considerations to be made, specifically the character's younger fans. "You see it in their eyes. He's everything to them," said Jackman, who's concerned with alienating those fans with an R-rated film. "You need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans." In the meantime, Jackman and Mangold may have come up with one possible solution to their rating dilemma. "There is even talk about us doing two versions, as in finding a way to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool." With Wolverine, there is always the unique question of the X-Men timeline and who might show up to the party, because the ageless mutant can more or less pop up in any era since the beginning of the 19th century. Jackson was less talkative on the subject of whether we'd see some familiar faces, but suggested that most of the cast would be filled with new characters, possibly leaving room for a cameo or two. Ever since "3:10 to Yuma" director James Mangold stepped in to replace Darren Aronofsky, the biggest obstacle has been Jackman's starring role opposite Russell Crowe in Tom Hooper's "Les Misérables." Jackman recently told reporters that "The Wolverine" would immediately follow "Les Misérables" as his next movie, so the waiting may soon be over. Check out everything we've got on "The Wolverine." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Hugh Jackman Photo: MTV News