“The Wolverine” set for July 2013 release

20th Century Fox has set a release date for the Hugh Jackman “Wolverine” sequel, titled “The Wolverine.”

The film is now set for a July 23, 2013 release date, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Jackman returns as the title character, based on the Marvel Comics mutant who first appeared in “Incredible Hulk” No. 181 in 1974.  Wolverine is considered the most popular of the X-Men, and now appears in the X-Men titles, his own solo series, and Marvel’s Avengers comic books.

Jackman has starred as Wolverine in three previous “X-Men” films and in “Wolverine: Origins.”  (And, SPOILER WARNING, perhaps, has a brief, but excellent, moment in “X-Men: First Class.”)

James Mangold is the director of the film, which is said to be loosely based on the Chris Claremont-Frank Miller “Wolverine” miniseries and will be set in Japan.

- Matt Price