Hugh Jackman calls 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' biggest Fox movie since 'Avatar'

The hype for X-Men: Days of Future Past continually grows and expectations are very high, and deservedly so. But star Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine for the seventh time in the X-Men movie franchise, may have just raised the bar even higher.

In an interview with Empire Magazine (via ComicBookMovie.com), Jackman talked about again working with director Bryan Singer, who helmed the first two X-Men films. In his comments Jackman included some high expectations for the movie.

"Bryan has such an incredible brain. This is certainly the biggest movie Fox has made outside of Avatar, so there's pressure from all angles," the Australian actor said. "But he's buzzing, and he's confident. He's gone deeper emotionally, and it's a great ensemble piece."

Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all-time, so that's certainly a high bar to set.

Jackman also revealed Wolverine's state in the new X-Men movie and the character's thoughts about travelling through time.

"He's a warrior and he can't hide from that anymore, even if the consequences are going to be messy and painful," he said. "If there's an era for Wolverine, its the 70s. The hair, the mutton chops, you can smoke cigars everywhere...everything about Wolverine seems more at home in the 70s."

The actor said that after the third movie, X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, he assumed the franchise was finished.

"I thought that was it," Jackman said. "There was already talk about doing a younger version, and I was certainly talking about Wolverine and trying to drum up interest in that. I thought the idea of another X-Men movie was done, so this was a surprise. And a welcome one." 

Finally, Singer reveals an exchange between Wolverine and Young Magneto, pllayed by Michael Fassbender:

"There's a line that Fassbender says that may make it. He says to Wolverine, 'You spend the next 50 years trying to bring me down?' Wolverine says, 'Pretty much.' Magneto says, 'How did that go for you?"

X-Men: Days of Future Past hits theaters on May 23.