Hugh Jackman: Wolverine's time almost up?

With the ability to regenerate making him nearly indestructible, Wolverine is probably the least killable character in the "X-Men" franchise.

After playing Wolverine for 14 years, Hugh Jackman says the death of the character has been contemplated, but added that he is hesitant about that idea.

"It's a pretty bold decision to make. People love that iconic character. If I was a teenager and I went to see Indiana Jones and he died at the end of it, I think I would be pretty upset," Jackman told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Jackman also admitted that if Wolverine always survives, the movies may "lose a sense of danger, immediacy, urgency and drama."

He said the famed director Darren Aronofsky previously suggested killing the character off. But Aronofsky later declined to direct the second "Wolverine" film, which was instead directed by James Mangold.

Marvel, the entertainment giant that created the "X-Men" comic series, has announced that "The Death of Wolverine," the latest comic in the series, will be released in September. It's not yet known whether future "Wolverine" or "X-Men" films will borrow from the comic's storyline.

Jackman was in Beijing promoting "X-Men: Days of Future Past," the latest film in the franchise, which is scheduled to hit the big screen on May 23 in both China and North America.

The 45-year-old actor may continue to play Wolverine in the third installment of the "Wolverine" franchise, as well as the next "X-Men" film. But he said both films are still in their early stages and no scripts have been written yet.

In order to better portray the muscular character, Jackman said he may shoot both films back to back. "Physically, it's a lot easier to do, because it's much easier to stay in shape than to get into shape," he said.

"I really enjoy playing the same character because it pushes you to dig deeper as an actor. I think I've grown as an actor at the same time I've been playing him," he said.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is Jackman's seventh film as "Wolverine." In this film, the X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

If he could travel to the past, Jackman said he wouldn't mind going back to his high school years. "The idea of taking the knowledge you have as someone older and going back. I probably would've had more fun," he said.

The film has an all-star cast, including Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Ellen Page. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing also appears in the film as Blink, a mutant with the power of teleportation.

Jackman started promoting the film globally not long after having a cancerous growth removed from his nose. He was still wearing a bandage at the film's premiere, which was held in Beijing Tuesday night.

Last November, Jackman was diagnosed with having Basal-cell carcinoma, a treatable and slow-growing form of skin cancer. He was treated right after being diagnosed and said the prognosis was good.

But earlier last week, he revealed on Instagram that he had to undergo the same treatment again. He also urged his followers to wear sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays.

In the interview, he re-stated that "everything is fine."