James Mangold is the favourite to direct The Wolverine

Hollywood filmmaker James Mangold who brought us Knight and Day and Walk the Line has emerged victorious in the race to become the director of The Wolverine in the wake of Darren Aronofskys departure from the upcoming Fox sequel.

Sources claim that while it isn't a done deal, the intensity of Identity and the western action of 3:10 to Yuma have convinced executives that Mangold could handle the job and negotiations are underway.

Should Mangold seal the deal, it would reunite him with his Kate & Leopold leading man Hugh Jackman and see Logan living in Japan and managing to get in yet more trouble when he falls for the wrong woman.

With a script written by Christopher McQuarrie, Fox are hoping to get started filming on location in Japan in the autumn, following the devastation caused by the earthquakes and tsunami.