With Dark Phoenix ending the X-Men series at Fox, attention now turns to how they will be rebooted for the MCU. It’s especially fun to think about who will play the mutants in this new version. The Fox series featured some great and iconic casting for these beloved characters, and recasting those roles will not be easy. The toughest role to recast will obviously be Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman gave an unforgettable performance in the role in nearly every X-Men film before calling it quits in Logan. Some fans have already started pushing for Danny Devito to take the role, and though he does seem like the obvious choice, it might be wise to consider some other actors in case that one falls through. Here are some of the actors we’d love to see play Wolverine in the MCU.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy is one of the most popular names being thrown around as a potential replacement for Jackman, and it’s hard to argue with the choice. Hardy is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, always giving intense and compelling performances. He has also shown that he can handle the physicality of such a role.
Hardy’s role in Venom might complicate things when it comes to playing Wolverine. While that role isn’t in the MCU, it could make the already confusing link between Sony and Marvel movies even harder to figure out. Still, he does seem like a pitch-perfect choice.
Keanu Reeves
Casting a 54-year-old to play Wolverine might seem like a stretch, but seeing as Keanu Reeves is apparently ageless, that doesn’t appear to be a problem. Reeves is one of the most likable actors on the planet as well as being an action movie icon with films like Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix. The John Wick series has done a great job reminding audiences how much of an icon Reeves can be.
Reeves has been circling the MCU a lot recently with him nearly being cast in Captain Marvel and now being rumored for The Eternals. He might not be available by the time X-Men is ready, but there’s no doubt he’d make a killer Wolverine.
Michiel Huisman
Michiel Huisman might not be a household name just yet, but he always seems ready to break out big with his next role. He is probably best known for his role on Game of Thrones as Daario Naharis. Despite taking over the role from Ed Skrein, Huisman quickly made it his own. He proved to be an effectively swashbuckling warrior.
Huisman has also appeared in the underrated The Invitation and more recently in The Haunting of Hill House. He seems to have an ease to his performances that could work wonderfully in taking over such an intimidating role.
Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed might not seem like the kind of actor who can convincingly play a fearsome fighter like Wolverine, but he has proven with his amazing range that he can take on just about any role. Ahmed got his start in the brilliant dark-comedy Four Lions, before moving on to bigger projects like Nightcrawler, The Night Of, and Rogue One.
Ahmed might not be the obvious choice for the role, but his immense talents cannot be denied. His smaller stature should please fans who have been wanting to see a shorter Wolverine. And there’s no doubt Ahmed can access his inner rage to pull off the part.
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant is one of those actors who can seemingly jump between comedy and drama effortlessly. Just this year, he was hysterically funny in the sadly canceled Santa Clarita Diet while also revisiting his intense role as Seth Bullock in Deadwood: The Movie. He’ll continue his stellar year with a role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Olyphant has a natural charisma that would be perfect for such a high-profile role. He has also shown in Deadwood and Justified that he can excel at playing tough characters with anger problems. That sounds exactly like what is needed to play Wolverine.
Pedro Pascal
To step into a franchise as massive as the MCU and play such an iconic character as Wolverine would be very daunting. However, one actor who would seem to be up to the task would be Pedro Pascal. He became a star after stepping into the role of Oberyn Martell in Season 4 of Game of Thrones and stole the show.
Since then, Pascal’s star has continued to rise with high-profile roles in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Triple Frontier, and Narcos. He’ll join the superhero genre next year with a role in Wonder Woman 1984, but Wolverine seems like a great fit for him.
Alfie Allen
Alfie Allen is yet another Game of Thrones alum who could be a great choice to sport those famous claws. Allen is one of the most underrated performers in that show and his performance as Theon Greyjoy was incredible, as the character went through so much over the course of the series.
Allen’s Hollywood career is starting to heat up with roles in The Predator and Taika Waititi’s upcoming Jojo Rabbit. Wolverine would be the role that gives him the recognition he deserves as a fantastic actor, and he could no doubt do great things with the part.
Taron Egerton
Taron Edgerton is another young actor who is on his way to becoming a major star. He got his breakout with Kingsman and has continued to make a name for himself ever since. While his Robin Hood film might have been a bit of a disaster, he rebounded fantastically with Rocketman, where his role as Elton John is already getting Oscar talk.
If the MCU wants to go with a younger take on Wolverine, Egerton would be a fantastic choice. It would be interesting to see him put aside his charm to play a darker hero, and we could easily see him leading the MCU’s take on the X-Men.
Jon Bernthal
Jon Bernthal is one of those character actors who seems to pop up in every film. He has made a career out of playing small and memorable roles in big films like Baby Driver, Sicario, Wind River, and Widows. But it feels like it’s time for Bernthal to step into the spotlight with his own starring role.
Bernthal has already shown he can play the intense hero to great effect, as he did so as The Punisher in the Netflix series. While that is technically in the MCU, its cancellation and fact that the movies have ignored the existence of the Netflix shows leave the door open for Bernthal to crush it as Wolverine.
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac is one of the most exciting actors working in Hollywood right now, so it’s no surprise that he is being linked to just about every major male lead in the business. Isaac is, of course, known most as Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars trilogy. However, he has been continuously giving great performances in interesting projects for years now.
Isaac already appeared in the X-Men franchise as the titular villain in X-Men: Apocalypse, but Wolverine seems like a better fit for his talents. He has the right look for the role and feels like he has the potential to unleash that berserker energy that Wolverine is known for.
