As much as we dig Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, there were some big problems with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. With the follow up movie, The Wolverine, we're all hoping for better things. In one of the endings for Origins, Wolverine is drinking in a bar in Japan. This seemed to be the lead in to the next movie.

Earlier this week, word spread that Famke Janssen was in Australia last week to film a cameo as Jean Grey for the movie. How could that be if this is set before the X-Men trilogy of movies? It turns out The Wolverine will take place after X-Men: The Last Stand.

But what about this image from Empire magazine CBM posted?

James Mangold spoke to Empire magazine and an image of Wolverine with his bone claws appears. Obviously this has to be a flashback. That could also mean that if Famke Janssen was reprising her role as Jean, it would be another flashback.

Empire Online did reveal one statement from Mangold in the interview in the magazine:

Where this film sits in the universe of the films is after them all. Jean Grey is gone, most of the X-Men are disbanded or gone, so there’s a tremendous sense of isolation for him.

It's also mentioned that most of the action takes place in Tokyo where Wolverine falls for Mariko and gets involved in a gang war which will all take place "outside of all previous X-film continuity."

To find out more, be sure to track down and pick up the issue featuring five different covers for The Hobbit.