Hugh Jackman tips Channing Tatum for Wolverine but James McAvoy disagrees

The X-Men actor says he knows his Marvel mutant role has an 'expiry date'

Hugh Jackman bears his claws and loses the plot in X-Men movie 'The Wolverine' (Twentieth Century Fox Film)

Hugh Jackman reckons Channing Tatum could take on the part of Wolverine whenever he steps down from the role.

The X-Men actor, 45, has been playing Marvel's mutant since 2000, but told Digital Spy last month that he knew he had an "expiry date".

"I'm not 100 per cent sure when that is," he said. "I'm also really sure it's not just my decision. In fact, more than likely not my decision! We'll see."

When asked who he thought should follow him, Jackman suggested the Magic Mike star. "I don't know who could play (Wolverine)," he said. "Channing Tatum could probably play him."

But James McAvoy, who plays Professor Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past , insisted that Wolverine "retire" after Jackman hangs up his claws.

"Nobody could step into your shoes," he told the Australian actor. "They've got to retire the character when you finish. When you're done with it, they retire the character."

Jackman then warned his co-star, in a sort of joking but really quite serious fashion, that should he ever be offered the role, "for our friendship, don't do it".

The seventh X-Men instalment, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender, is due in UK cinemas on 22 May.

The storyline is believed to lead into X-Men: Apocalypse , scheduled for a 2016 release. A Wolverine sequel is also planned, with director James Mangold posting on Twitter in March that "of course there'll be another Wolverine solo".