The X-Men will inevitably be inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point in the future. And that has led to so many fans speculating and debating over who could replace the actors in the long-running 20th Century Fox series. One of the biggest conversations surrounding it is who could take up the mantle of Wolverine, as Hugh Jackman's replacement will have some huge boots to fill.
Jackman made the role of Wolverine his own and has played the character for 17 years, which is incredible considering that he was a complete unknown when he was cast. Marvel Studios could go down the same direction and cast an unknown, or they could cast a world-famous star. Either way, Redditors have some strong opinions on the matter.
Daniel Radcliffe
Oogeej believes Daniel Radcliffe would be the best option for the next Wolverine, explaining that they "wouldn't mind seeing a shaggy-looking Daniel Radcliffe in the role." When it comes to the physical look of the comic book Wolverine, Radcliffe fits the part perfectly, as he's 1.65 meters in height and has a wiry, muscular physique.
The actor has had a successful career since Harry Potter ended, and being thrown into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one of the most iconic superheroes could be the logical next step. Not only that, but his acting has come a long way since he was just a teenager too.
Dominic Purcell
At 51, Purcell might be at an age that's a little too old for Wolverine, especially considering that Jackman was 49 when he played the Old Man Logan version of the character in Logan. However, Givememorecupcakes still thinks that the Prison Break actor could pull it off.
The Redditor makes a good point that "most of his roles have him playing an intense character with anger issues, so Wolverine would be no stretch at all." And Purcell's approach to his characters does mirror Logan's personality. The actor usually plays roles in a manner that's subdued and quiet, but when his characters are angry, there's a raw frantic energy about him.
Scott Eastwood
Scott Eastwood is a popular choice to take up the mantle of Wolverine amongst fans of X-Men. But Djdrobbins puts it best by saying that "if he ages like his dad, he’ll be playing the character forever." As the actor is the son of celebrated actor Clint Eastwood, whose biggest trademarks are his scowling face, raspy grunts, and intimidating aura, Scott has adopted those for his own acting methods.
And in a dream world, Clint Eastwood could even direct the movie, which would make perfect sense. The actor-turned-director often makes movies about characters who are filled with regret and are obsessed with their past mistakes, just like Logan.
Zac Efron
Machina15 reckons that Zac Efron would make a great Wolverine simply because "he's used to working out." However, having the muscles and the physique of the character is only half of the job. Anybody who plays the X-Men character will have to follow Jackman's compelling 17-year-long depiction of the character.
There's more to the character than simply being the brawn of the superhero team. In fact, he's the most three-dimensional character of them all, and though Efron might be capable of that, he's yet to show it. The actor has settled into mostly leading teen comedies like Baywatch and Neighbors at this point in his career.
Keanu Reeves
The world is currently living through a Keanu Reeves renaissance. The John Wick movies quickly became the most popular and exciting action series right now, the Matrix series has returned, and he was even the MVP of Toy Story 4, as he played Duke Caboom. That has led Bumblebee1977 to the conclusion that "Keanu would make a pretty badass Wolverine."
While the X-Men films might not be any of Keanu Reeves' favorite movies, it does fit into his pattern of loving films about out-of-town rogues reluctantly doing what's right. Not only that, but with his scruffy facial hair and penchant for performing his own stunts and fight scenes, it could make for some of Wolverine's best action scenes yet, even if Reeves is 57.
Tom Hardy
AverageJohnnyBravo claims that "Tom Hardy would've been perfect" to play Wolverine, as he's stocky and all of his characters are so pensive and calculative. In some of Hardy's movies, he barely even talks, and his thoughts and actions are delivered simply with a look.
However, for as popular and bankable as the actor is, Hardy has been in so many superhero movies that it might feel like overkill. Or at the very least, it'd cause some confusion amongst general audiences, especially as his version of Venom is (kind of) a part of the MCU at this point.
Frank Grillo
Though Frank Grillo already played Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, TimesThreeTheHighest believes that Marvel Studios could still bring him back to play a different character. But as nonsensical as that sounds, the Redditor makes a great point that though Grillo has "already been in the MCU, that hasn't stopped Marvel before."
The most obvious example of the studio using the same actor to play two different characters is Gemma Chan, who played Sersi in Eternals, but she also played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. Given that Grillo brings that intensity to his roles, it could work out.
Danny DeVito
PapaWOK thinks Danny DeVito could deliver the best performance of the X-Men character, especially wanting to see the character "in the original yellow suit." Though the Redditor might be half-joking when they bring up DeVito, especially with the yellow suit comment, it's something that fans have talked about for years.
DeVito is known for his short stature but also for playing roles that are often loud, angry, and aggressive. The actor also plays Frank like a feral animal in the sitcom It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so the choice could be the best MCU stunt casting yet.
James McAvoy
Brilliant-Way-7866 wants to see James McAvoy in the role, as they point out that the actor "has a primal energy to him." The best example of McAvoy's ability to play Wolverine is his portrayal of Beast in Split, one of the best characters in the Glass universe.
But McAvoy hasn't just played another Marvel character in the past, but another X-Men character, as he has been Charles Xavier for the past 10 years. Again, just like with Tom Hardy, this choice could cause confusion, especially as the whole X-Men timeline is already such a mess. However, if it wasn't for the fact that McAvoy had already played Professor X, he would make an incredible replacement for Hugh Jackman.
Jon Bernthal
Jon Bernthal is another actor whose energy and physicality on screen are so imposing. Msterling2012 thinks that he would be the best pick for Wolverine because "his berserker rage scenes would be incredible."
There's a small chance Bernthal could return as Punisher, as Marvel Studios is seemingly picking and choosing which characters to pull from the non-canon Netflix shows. But so long as that doesn't happen, the actor could use that same approach he had to Punisher and apply it to Wolverine.