Without question, a lot has changed for Hugh Jackman since he carved out his place in the movie world with the 2000 superhero blockbuster "X-Men." His ferocious, yet charming and charismatic turn as Logan/Wolverine not only helped spawn two hit "X-Men" sequels, it led to a spate of other movies and a Tony Award-winning role in the musical "The Boy from Oz."

Superstar status notwithstanding, Jackman is not about to rest on his laurels: And if you don't believe that, do a quick rewind to earlier this year, when Jackman hosted the Oscars while still working on "X-Men: Origins: Wolverine." And talk about a double-edged adamantium claw: Given the high visibility of both projects, Jackman knew that he was under twice the amount of pressure to deliver big -- and subject to double the amount of criticism.

"Yeah, they're both pretty big," said Jackman, laughing, in a recent @ The Movies interview. "The key is, you just have to go into it knowing that you're not going to please everybody. You just have to do your best -- and stay away from reading anything about them on the Internet."

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" traces the beginnings of the famed Marvel Comics character, from a tragic event in his childhood to the volatile relationship with his brother, Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), who is destined to become the villainous mutant Sabretooth. We also see William Stryker's (Danny Huston) Weapon X program in its full glory, giving much more depth to a subplot told in mere flashbacks in the first two "X-Men" movies.

While several mutants appear throughout, "Origins" differs from the other "X-Men" films in that the story mostly examines Wolverine's dark trek -- beginning with the opening credits that sees his and Creed's harrowing service in the biggest wars of the past two centuries.

"We see him as a kid and going through all the wars over the years, and see the relationship with his brother. These were really interesting things to me," said Jackman, who shot most of the film in his native Australia. "I wanted to tell the amount of experiences he'd been through and the evolution of the character. He's a character that's tough and unrelenting. He's a good guy but definitely not a nice guy. He's quite brutal and dark. So I wondered, 'How does a guy like that become that person?' In this movie we get to tell that story."

Plus, Jackman added, the movie finally gave him a chance to bring one of the defining visions he had of the character to life.

"There's a scene where Wolverine is birthed, in a way, where he comes roaring out a tank with his claws blazing, and he just goes crazy," Jackman observed. "That shot for me is something that I've always had in my head."

Seeing a vision through like the birth of Wolverine was one of the perks of Jackman's other role on the film, as one of its producers. Joining him in his filmmaking duties were fellow producers John Palermo, Ralph Winter and Lauren Schuler Donner, who had worked with Jackman since the first "X-Men" movie.

"There were a lot of areas (producing a film) I didn't know anything about, so there were time when I could pass things on to them. But there were also some uncomfortable times," Jackman explained. "It's not always easy being a producer. Being a producer is a bit like being a grown-up. You have to make some tough decisions."

"I probably found out a little too much about some people," Jackman added with a laugh, "Particularly when you're negotiating with them. You see them in a different light. But the main reason I wanted to be one of the producers was to protect the character."

All the while, while Jackman and his team held the official producer titles, he always took into account the fifth party in the equation: Wolverine's passionate fan base.

"Barely a day goes by where I don't hear an opinion from someone -- but that's good," Jackman said. "I've always felt for those guys and girls, who've dedicated parts of their lives to these characters and worlds, yet really never have any say or input into a film. It must be very frustrating for them, so I always listen."

To bridge the gap between the fans and the production, screenwriter David Benioff, who won acclaim for his work on "Troy" and "The Kite Runner," was hired by Jackman and 20th Century Fox to do the script. The bonus was Benioff also had an affinity for a certain Marvel comic book. With the hiring of Benioff, the "X-Men" movie base has found itself a new idol. Benioff's script includes characters comic book fans have been clamoring to see on the big screen, including Blob (Kevin Durand), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Gambit (Taylor Kitsch of "Friday Night Lights" in a star-making role).

"I thought it was an inspired choice -- and he happens to be one of the biggest Wolverine and X-Men fans out there," Jackman enthused. "Hiring him was important to me."

Equally as important was bringing aboard a director like Gavin Hood, who helmed the 2005 Best Foreign Film Oscar winner, "Tsotsi." Jackman admires Hood's dedication to keeping the emotional core of the story intact, while balancing out the movie with its vast array of special effects.

"We've gone from the 'X-Men' movie world, which is really an ensemble story, to focusing on one character. While there are new characters and they inform the main character, but it's really about Wolverine's emotional journey here," Jackman said. "It takes someone like Gavin, with discipline, sensitivity, humanity, and his desire to flesh out all of the characters, that makes it interesting."

Ultimately, Jackman said he puts himself in the seat of a moviegoer to make sure that they're going to get more in a movie than just eye candy.

"For me, if I'm going to see a movie, great action is fantastic, but it's never going to be enough to sustain me," Jackman said. "Films are stories first. And if the story itself can't exist amongst all of the action, then it's never going to sustain on film. Gavin was very stubborn in making sure that all of the angles and the depth of the story got told."

Only time will tell whether another "Wolverine" movie will be made, but given Jackman's passion for the material and his tip-top physical shape, he's certainly capable of doing more. The only thing that could possibly stop Jackman at some point is aging -- something that the character of Wolverine doesn't do.

At least for the time being, Jackman knows that he hasn't hit the wall at 40. Wolverine's on-screen battles with the likes of Sabretooth, Gambit, Blob and Deadpool is evidence of that.

"I'm smarter at the way I train so I handle the physical part of the role a little bit better, but there were mornings making the film when I would wake up and go, 'Whoa. I'm really feeling this.' It was tough," said Jackman. "But I quite like that feeling in a way. I'm fully aware how lucky I am to be in this position, and I'm also aware that if it were any easier, then anybody could do it."