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Hugh Jackman is set to return as Wolverine in 2024's Deadpool 3, helmed by Stranger Things and Free Guy director Shawn Levy. Jackman's clawed mutant will join Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool on what is rumored to be a road trip-like adventure across the multiverse where they will encounter Loki's Mobius and the Time Variance Authority (TVA).
However, Jackman might have only agreed to return for Deadpool 3 and Avengers: Secret Wars. The Wolverine actor said that he imagined every X-Men film he did as a one-and-done, much like how he views Wolverine and Deadpool at the moment. Appearing on the Empire Film Podcast, he said:
"I imagine every movie as a one and done. That's how I see it," Jackman said about Deadpool 3 and all his movies. "I'll be honest I had a two-picture deal at the beginning, but I still assumed it was a one and done."
He continued:
"You know, back then, there were no comic book movies, so I just take it one at a time. I'm lucky that way, I don't have to think beyond that, but I think it's the best way to go."
Journalist Devin Faraci on his Patreon said that the X-Men will not be introduced in the MCU until 2025 at the latest, despite the mutants' tease at the end of Ms. Marvel. He said that this is due to contractual obligations and other related issues with the previous 20th Century Fox X-Men cast members.
As such, once Secret Wars rolls around in 2026, Marvel might begin to look to cast their version of the clawed mutant for the MCU. Wolverine is a character that requires a lot of range, and thus the role can only be essayed by actors who have shown range and versatility in their roles. Jackman has also set a high bar via his portrayal of the character.
This listicle will look at eight actors who could play the clawed mutant.
Disclaimer: This listicle solely reflects the writer's opinions.
Jeremy Allen White, Dacre Montgomery, and 6 other actors who could play Wolverine
1) Taron Egerton
Known for his roles in the Kingsman franchise, Rocketman, and Eddie the Eagle, where he co-starred alongside Hugh Jackman, Taron Egerton has been a popular fan-cast for Wolverine for many years. Egerton has shown that he can handle the clawed mutant role via his impressive acting prowess and range he showcased in the aforementioned films.
Egerton also has a short stature, a necessary requirement for the role. In the comics, the character is around 5 feet in height, and so is Egerton. Egerton has also hinted at having had talks with Marvel Studios about portraying the iconic cigar-chomping mutant. Speaking to the New York Times, he said:
"I don't think it would be wrong to say that," Egerton said. "I'd be excited but I'd be apprehensive as well, because Hugh [Jackman] is so associated with the role that I'd wonder if it'd be very difficult for someone else to do it."
2) Dacre Montgomery
Dacre Montgomery has shown via his portrayal of Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things that he has the charisma and range to portray the brooding mutant of the X-Men. Much like Wolverine, Billy is a troubled man.
Dacre's performance in Stranger Things led to his casting in Austin Butler's Elvis, where he essayed the role of Steve Binder. Dacre, however, continues to search for a huge role in Hollywood, and Wolverine might be up his alley.
The Stranger Things actor also shared a fan art of him as Wolverine in a now-deleted tweet where a rendition of him as the character was created by popular artist BossLogic.
Aside from Wolverine, Dacre has also been a popular fan cast for the role of Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch.
3) Henry Cavill
The former Superman actor has recently become a popular fan-cast for the Wolverine role after a deepfake video of him as the character emerged online. Cavill has also been fan-cast in other superhero roles like Sentry, Hyperion, and Captain Britain.
Through his portrayal of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, Cavill has shown that he has the acting chops to pull off the clawed mutant's brooding, mysterious and serious nature. After the deepfake's release, many netizens took to Twitter to say that they wanted Cavill as Wolverine.
Although Cavill could pull off Wolverine, he may not want to, given how he previously stated to The Hollywood Reporter that he did not want to take on a character played by someone else and would instead like to play Captain Britain.
"I'm never going to say a Marvel character that is already being played by someone else because everyone's doing such an amazing job. However, I have the internet and I have seen the various rumors about Captain Britain and that would be loads of fun to do a cool, modernized version of that - like the way they modernized Captain America. There's something fun about that, and I do love being British."
4) Daniel Radcliffe
Although Radcliffe is most famous for his role as Harry Potter in the famed magical franchise, the actor has been showcasing his vast range in multiple films as of late, including Swiss Army Man, Guns Akimbo, Weird, and The Lost City.
Through the aforementioned films, Radcliffe has shown that he has the versatility required to pull off the clawed mutant. Daniel Radcliffe is also short, which makes him a perfect fit for the character.
Radcliffe reacted to the fan casts, speaking to Phase Zero at the SXSW Premiere for The Lost City. The former Harry Potter star said he does not know anything about it:
"So many people come up to me like, 'Hey man, I heard the Wolverine news, that's really cool.' And I'm like, 'Mate, it's not, I don't know anything about it."
He then added, saying he doesn't see Marvel going from Hugh Jackman to him:
"Like, I appreciate that somebody has clearly gone, 'Wolverine is actually short in the comic books, we should get a short guy to do it.' But I don't see them going from Hugh Jackman to me afterward, but who knows. Prove me wrong, Marvel."
5) Jeremy Allen White
Although Jeremy Allen White has yet to jump from the television industry to the film industry, he may do so following the end of the 11-season run of Shameless, where he played Philip Gallagher.
Allen White has also recently become even more famous among netizens and fans for his spectacular portrayal of Carmen Barzatto in the Hulu series The Bear.
In both Shameless and The Bear, Allen White has shown that he has the acting range and capability to pull off Wolverine. Like the clawed mutant, Philip is apathetic and pessimistic and smokes cigarettes.
Shameless fans who remember Philip Gallagher's iconic angry snap will know exactly why he is fit for the role.
6) Milo Gibson
The son of Hollywood veteran Mel Gibson, Milo Gibson has been marking his presence in the industry via his roles in films like All the Devil's Men, Breaking & Exiting, Gangster Land, and Hacksaw Ridge. Through these films, Milo has shown that he has an impressive acting range and can pull off the Wolverine role.
Many Marvel fans have claimed that Mel Gibson would have been a popular and top choice for the role of Wolverine if the X-Men had been made in the 90s. Although Mel has aged out of the role over the years, his son Milo can be given a chance.
Milo also slightly looks like the clawed mutant, thanks to his beard and height of 5 foot 9, which is the range Wolverine belongs to. He has also shown that he can get the build for the role of Wolverine via All the Devil's Men. The role could serve as Milo's big break if given to him.
7) Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal is a growing star thanks to his breakout performance in the BBC Emmy award-winning miniseries, Normal People, where Mescal was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor. Through his performance in the series, Mescal has shown that he has a lot of range or potential range to pull off Wolverine.
Thanks to his performance in Normal People, Paul Mescal has put himself on the radar across Hollywood. He has now bagged the lead role in Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2. The sequel to The Gladiator, which made Russell Crowe an A-list actor.
As such, many studios will be looking to offer him a role, and if Mescal is lucky enough, he could be chosen to be the next in line to play the clawed mutant for the MCU.
8) Brandon Perea
Brandon Perea delivered a scene-stealing performance as Angel Torres in Jordan Peele's Nope and is also known for his role in the Netflix sci-fi series The OA. As such, he has put himself on the Hollywood map. Perea, however, has yet to land a breakout role that could make him a household name.
Perea has shown immense talent in both of his portrayals. Being a small name, he is the right person for Marvel Studios to pick and cast as Wolverine. And since Marvel is casting actors of diverse ethnicities for many roles in the MCU, Perea could be perfect.
If chosen for the role of Wolverine, Mescal can showcase his full acting power. However, Perea has expressed interest in playing another superhero, Sam Alexander, aka Nova. Perea took to Twitter on July 21, 2022, to ask fans to spread the word about his interest.
Who do you think will play MCU's Wolverine? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
