Finally, after a 6-second version and a 20-second version comes the full-length regular version of The Wolverine's first trailer. It's been a long time coming, but was it worth the wait? Have a look for yourself, and be sure to check out the US version via iTunes hereafterwards for some alternate takes and a couple of tweaks. "I'm not healing..." he says. Gulp.
"Eternity... is a curse." Cue a straggly haired, black-eyed Logan who looks like he'd consider a cage match just for the fun of it. He's obviously spoiling for what could be a juicy barfight, but newcomer Yukio (Rila Fukushima) - annoyingly - stops his growling and lobs him on a private jet to Japan. So far, so plotty.
And yet, the trailer continues that way, deciding to hold off the full-on action until the storyline ducks have all been metaphorically put in a row. The flashback scenes are explained - including that mysterious shot of Famke Janssen's Jean Grey - by a sneaky plot move involving a rich Japanese businessman Logan saved during his WWII days (for more details, see Origins).
Said rich Japanese businessman offers him the chance to be mortal again, and it looks like he accepts - though it's not clear whether his healing powers are fully gone or just diminished... Here's hoping it's the latter, otherwise most of the film will see Wolverine with blood pouring out of his knuckles.
Then, we have action. Like the cover of the original graphic novel, ninjas surround Wolverine, but he doesn't look too fussed - the Silver Samurai, meanwhile, looks like more of challenge. What's more perilous then both is a CGI-friendly Bullet Train fight scene and a leap attack we can't wait to see on the big screen.
This is all very encouraging stuff from director James Mangold, a man who's obviously not afraid of tweaking the original source material to serve his own ends. A vulnerable Logan? This we have to see - if only to wash out the memory of X-Men Origins: Wolverine that still bothers many fans of the big fella. One question though: how will this story fit in with what happens in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days Of Future Past? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
**The Wolverine **will arrive in UK cinemas on July 25.