Hugh Jackman looking forward to beer and burgers after final appearance as Wolverine

Hugh Jackman, the actor who has made the iconic comic book character of Wolverine his own for 17 years, is mostly looking forward to time off from working out once he hangs up the claws for good in 2017. The Australian actor told Jonathan Ross that the gruelling fitness regimen he has to undergo every time he plays the mutant antihero on screen would not be missed.

"I actually do like the feeling of being strong and I'm training way harder than I would if I wasn't in one of these movies but it's painful, it actually hurts," he said. "People say you get addicted to it. I'm not addicted to it.

"I'll be quite looking forward to having a few beers, some burgers and hanging out."

Jackman first played the character of wolverine in the first X-Men movie in 2000, with his final appearance due next year, in the third Wolverine film. He also discussed what it meant to inhabit such a beloved role for so long, hinting that he'd pass on the torch.

"One more. That's the last one… It's been 17 years, I can't believe it's been. It's amazing. With cameos it's already eight [films], it feels like a lot and I've loved it and I'm so excited about this last one. I can't in my head think of anything else to do with the character, but I know someone else will take over the role."

The third standalone Wolverine film is rumoured to follow the plotline of the beloved 2008 Old Man Logan storyline from the X-Men comics. The story, set 50 years into the future in a world where a group of villains have banded together to rid of superheroes for good, sees Logan travelling across the US with the now-blind Hawkeye.

Jackman is also due to have a cameo appearance in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse, which will be released worldwide in late May.