First Photo for 'The Wolverine' Features a Ripped Hugh Jackman

Twentieth Century Fox

The first photo for The Wolverine has hit the web, and we have one word to describe it: ripped.

our editor recommends

Hugh Jackman, James Mangold Ready for 'The Wolverine' Shoot

'Wolverine' Sequel Casts Two Villains

The dark photo features Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine standing shirtless and clearly poised for a fight, muscles bulging all over the place.

Wolverine, which is set for release on July 26, 2013, sees Jackman’s Logan traveling to Japan with a samurai warrior.

PHOTOS: 10 Top Summer Superheroes Movies Of All Time: Battle of Box Office Brawn

James Mangold will direct the stand-alone sequel to the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which has seen its production start pushed back several times.

Back in 2010, Darren Aronofsky was confirmed to direct the film, but in March 2011, he bowed out saying he couldn’t be out of the country for that long of a period of time.

The film, while set in Japan, has been doing much of the shoot in Jackman’s home nation of Australia. The $100 million-plus sequel began filming at Sydney’s Fox Studios in August.

For his part Jackman, also a producer on the film, said he was thrilled to return home to make the film.

“I am so happy to be home, to be shooting a movie of this magnitude here at home is one of the great privileges I have had in my career,” he said.

What do you think of the first photo?