The Boys lead actor Antony Starr has expressed interest in playing Wolverine for any upcoming Marvel films. Starr is one of the current stars of Amazon Prime's The Boys, which puts a darker, grittier spin on the classic tropes of being a superhero. In the series, Starr plays Homelander, a superhero, or "supe," as they're referred to on the show, who's been described as a sociopathic version of Superman.
Starr's affinity for playing superheros ties into his interest in Wolverine, an iconic Marvel character known for his X-Men storylines and adamantium claws. The character has long been played in films by Hugh Jackman, whose performance in Logan was met with widespread praise from critics and fans alike. Although the X-Men world has historically stood apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox signaled the impending arrival of mutants into the MCU. As a result, the character of Wolverine may once again reappear in future films, with the role now up for grabs by any interested actors.
Starr recently sat down with ScreenGeek to talk about the upcoming season of The Boys. When asked which X-Men character he would most like to play, Starr responded that Wolverine would be his first pick, in spite of the "big shoes to fill." He went on to praise Jackson's portrayal of Wolverine, and joked that one drawback of the role is that "Wolverine doesn't wear spandex, which is definitely a negative."
In spite of his enthusiasm, Starr remains committed to The Boys and his character of Homelander. In the same interview, while Starr highlighted that while he would "be tempted" to play Wolverine, he also mentioned that "whatever comes, comes." Starr hopes viewers will enjoy season 2 of the show as much as they did the previous one and was grateful for the opportunity to work on The Boys season 3 as well. Even though Starr wants to join the MCU, he has found success with The Boys which got glowing reviews its first season. Even if Starr doesn't get cast as Wolverine, the actor will still have a loyal fanbase for years to come given the Amazon original series.
Although it's still unclear who Marvel is looking towards for the Wolverine role, it's rumored that an X-Men reboot means the studio will be looking for actors on the younger side. Regardless of how the Wolverine casting pans out, it seems Starr will have to wait a while longer to see if he fits the bill. For now, look for Starr in his lead role as The Boys' Homelander, as he continues to show fans a second side of what it means to be a hero.
The Boys season 2 premieres September 4 on Amazon Prime.
Source: ScreenGeek