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"The Wolverine" In Japan

The last few films we've seen from the massive Marvel franchise have all been spiraling together into a jointly occupied world. This, of course, is the plan, with the four characters of Captain America, Thor, Hulk and Iron Man making up the superhero team The Avengers, which has now had its own film and is en route to a second. All in all, the process has been entertaining, but it's also becoming a bit familiar. This is why many superhero film fans are excitedly looking forward to "The Wolverine," the next Marvel installment due out later this summer.

At least for now, the X-Men characters are operating in their own string of films outside of the world of the Avengers, and Wolverine - played by Hugh Jackman - seems to be in his own, even smaller sphere. We last saw Jackman's Wolverine in the 2009 film "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (not counting a brief but amusing cameo in 2011's "X-Men: First Class"), and the film received mixed reviews. However, that film has come and gone, and is now relegated to DVD sales and streaming services like Netflix or Picture Box Films. This summer's follow-up is generating all the buzz now.
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One reason for the excitement is the willingness of "The Wolverine" to venture away from familiar superhero settings and into the far East. The film's trailers have depicted what almost looks like a samurai story, with Logan (Wolverine) travelling to Japan in order to confront characters from his past. Indications are that Logan will be made mortal, a concept that goes against the very concept of the Wolverine character, and that he'll have to fend off enemies under this new burden of mortal vulnerability.

Again, however, it's the setting and general atmosphere of the film that are exciting, given that our knowledge of the plot is somewhat limited. The idea of a superhero confronting mortality and battling superior forces is by no means a new one - but the idea of a Marvel hero clashing with samurai swords is an exciting one. From scenery, to characters, to costuming and fighting style, Japan's influence is all over the trailers for this film, and that will certainly be an interesting change of scenery.

Another particularly interesting aspect of "The Wolverine" for fans of the rather convoluted X-Men franchise is whether or not it will lead directly to anything in the upcoming "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" film, which is a sequel to the popular "First Class." Of course, only time will tell. But "The Wolverine" is certainly one of the remaining summer films to get excited about!

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