Hugh Jackman sends X-Men director Bryan Singer a parting gift

Hugh Jackman has been by Bryan Singer’s side since the filmmaker’s first X-Men film in 2000 and up to this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse. As Jackman prepares to retire Wolverine (a role he’s held for eight-going-on-nine films), the actor offered his longtime director a parting gift: commissioned prints from X-Men comic book artist Joe Quesada.

Quesada envisioned Jackman as the adamantium-clawed mutant standing behind Singer as Professor Xavier, the telepathic leader of the X-Men as played on screen by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy.

The filmmaker posted an image of the artwork to Instagram, writing, “Thank you so much [Hugh Jackman] for commissioning the brilliant comic artist [Joe Quesada] to make these fantastic and very personal covers for me. I will cherish them and our long friendship and collaboration always!”

Jackman signed one of the pieces with a message to Singer that read: “Dear Bryan, It all started with you, Bub! 1999-2016! From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Jackman announced his final appearance as Wolverine will be in James Mangold’s sequel to The Wolverine. The actor teased the Old Man Logan storyline from the comics as inspiration, while producer Simon Kinberg confirmed an R rating with “kind of like a Western in its tone.”

Wolverine 3 is scheduled for release on March 3, 2017.