With filming now wrapped on Les Misérables, Hugh Jackman can focus his attention on polishing his six retracting bone claws ready for next summer’s The Wolverine. Due for release in July 2013, The Wolverine will apparently not follow on from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but will be a stand-alone adventure based around a Japanese saga.

While the plot has been kept tightly under wraps, the studio have announced castings today of a number of actors with a limited following outside of Japan, suggesting their commitment to keeping an authentic feel to the story. Which is nice. Hiroyuki Sanada, from Lost and Rush Hour 3, is signing up to play Japanese crime boss Shingen. Hal Yamanouchi (The Life Aquatic, Sinabd of the Seven Seas) will be Yashida, father of Wolverine’s fiancée, while newcomers Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima will be playing love-interest Mariko and lady ninja Yukio

Grimm actor Brian Tee is set to play a corrupt minister called Noburo Mori, and reports suggest that Will Yun Lee (Die Another Day, and soon to be seen in Total Recall and Red Dawn remakes) has signed to play mutant The Silver Samurai, whose armour is not only silver, but electrified. Uh oh Wolverine, made of 90% conducting metals…