Taron Egerton denies rumors that he will be playing Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fresh from the success of Rocketman where he brilliantly depicted a young Elton John, Egerton’s career continues to soar. Having proven his acting skills, there have been ongoing speculations that his next career move is to join the MCU bringing the beloved mutant’s new incarnation.
Since word got out in late 2017 that Disney was buying Fox’s movie and TV assets, Marvel fans have been excited to see the X-Men and the Fantastic Four exist in the MCU alongside the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. While it’s quite difficult to let go of the roster of actors who brought some of these iconic characters to life, chances are that Kevin Feige and his team are looking at a clean slate in order to incorporate the X-Men into the MCU. But recasting one specific character is making fans feel equal parts excited and anxious: Wolverine. Famously portrayed by Hugh Jackman for almost two decades, whoever is taking over the role has some big shoes to fill, and sadly, for those hoping that it could be Egerton, he says those rumors claiming he’s up for the role are bogus.
Speaking with Digital Spy in regard to this specific matter, Egerton denies this Wolverine casting speculation, describing the rumors as “unfounded.” He also details how this rumor started, and as it turns out, it began from a joke he made about actually playing the character. Despite this, the Kingsman franchise lead star said that he’s open to taking a crack at the beloved role if Marvel Studios wants him.
“That one I think is just a rumour. As far as I’m aware it’s unfounded. I don’t know if I’m quite grisly enough. I mean if the people at Marvel think I am then great, let’s go. But I think there are probably better candidates. But I would love to be involved with that world somewhere.”
“This is what happens when you make jokes. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just start casting yourself in things by just saying them in interviews? So I guess people have been asking something about me and Wolverine, and I made a joke about [playing] Wolverine after being in a hot wash, like I’d been shrunk in a hot wash, and the internet seems to think that I was putting that out there on my dream board cosmic ordering system.”
No word yet on when fans can start learning official details about what Feige is planning with the roster of Marvel characters that he can now use in the MCU. Perhaps the public can learn more during their Marvel’s Hall H presentation at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. And if they’re actively looking for an actor to play Wolverine, they might want to check Egerton if they hadn’t. Not only is the guy seemingly interested in taking a crack at it, he’s also built similarly to the hero in the comic books.
Assuming that Egerton is really in the running to be the next Wolverine, he can easily reach out to Jackman for some tips. The two worked together in Eddie the Eagle directed by Dexter Fletcher – the same filmmaker behind Rocketman. All that being said, since Jackman’s take on the role is so iconic, Marvel Studios may be inclined to go for a significantly different approach with the character, like they’re doing with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. This is to differentiate the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s version from its predecessor, because frankly, it’s quite impossible to compete with what’s come before considering it’s still so beloved.
