In a resurfaced interview from 2015, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, best known for his portrayal of Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, expressed his desire to see a ‘younger’ actor take on the iconic role. Jackman, who concluded his 17-year tenure as the fierce mutant character in 2017’s critically acclaimed Logan, had been frequently asked about his potential successor. But who saw this ‘younger’ actor as a potential successor?
Revealing how talks about finding the new Wolverine has been doing rounds in the studio, Jackman hinted at his pick for who would be a worthy successor for portraying the character of Logan in the $1.51 billion franchise.
Hugh Jackman disclosed who would make a great Wolverine after him
“I’ve been asked the question a lot and I’m always like, ‘I don’t want to make it too easy on the studio to replace me,” Hugh Jackman playfully remarked during an interview with MTV. Hinting at the ongoing discussions within the film industry, The Prestige actor further added,
“I’m sure they’re already talking about it, that some actor out there they’ve already said, ‘Shhh… keep it quiet but we want you next.’ He’s younger than me for sure… I think Tom Hardy would be great.”
However, it doesn’t look like Jackman’s dreams of seeing Tom Hardy as Wolverine are coming true any time soon, or maybe ever. While the X-Men franchise’s screen rights have returned to Marvel studios following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the possibility of Tom Hardy donning the adamantium claws seems unlikely, despite Jackman’s endorsement.
And the primary reason for this is that Hardy is already a part of the Marvel universe. The Legend actor has gained significant popularity as the titular character in Sony’s Venom series, which recently received a sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, starring Woody Harrelson.
But haven’t some actors portrayed two different roles in Marvel Cinematic Universe previously?
Yes, Marvel Studios has seen actors play multiple roles within their cinematic universe, defying continuity. Notably, Chris Evans portrayed Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the original Fantastic Four films before becoming a pivotal figure as Steve Rogers / Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Moreover, Michael B. Jordan also had a similar experience, playing the Human Torch in the unsuccessful Fantastic Four reboot before leaving a lasting impression as Erik Stevens / Killmonger in Black Panther. Apart from that, Gemma Chan, who initially appeared as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, now stars as Sersi in the highly anticipated Eternals.
Hence, the idea of Hardy making it to the X-Men might be a remote possibility. Since the future of Wolverine remains uncertain, it is known that Marvel Studios, under the leadership of CEO Kevin Feige, is still strategizing on how to reintegrate the properties previously handled by 20th Century Fox. This means that there is a hint of the possibility of a clean reboot with an entirely new cast for the X-Men franchise, as well as the often-mishandled Fantastic Four.
Source: MTV
