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In the world of movies, especially superhero films, it is a rarity to have the same actor portray a character for more than two decades. Hugh Jackman was one of those rarities that shined in the role of Wolverine for over twenty years, and we will get to see him one last time as Logan in Deadpool 3. Now that the X-Men are considered part of the MCU, Disney has to find a new talented actor that could fill the shoes of Jackman, which is near impossible. Hugh Jackman was the perfect casting for Wolverine, and for many, it would be hard to see another actor play the role. But as Thanos said, it is inevitable, and Jackman will pass the baton to someone younger to take over the role in the rebooted MCU X-Men. So here are 10 actors that could play the next Wolverine in the MCU.
1) Tom Bateman
Tom Bateman is a British actor that is mostly known for working on Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Bateman has proven himself to be a talented actor that can be trusted in different types of roles, whether it is comedy or drama throughout his career. Apart from that, his physique and face would make for an amazing Wolverine in the MCU. Bateman is 34 years old, which also makes him a good investment in the long run as well.
2) Fabien Frankel
This is another British actor who made his breakthrough with the fantastic series House of the Dragon last year. Frankel played the role of Ser Criston Cole in the series and has proven himself a worthy actor with a bright future. The role of Ser Criston requires great strength of body, action sequences, and also terrific acting for various drama sequences. Frankel could be the best option if Marvel is looking for a talented young actor who is a bit of an unknown, so he could build his career upon the Wolverine character.
3) Theo James
Theo James is mostly known for his role as Four in the Divergent film series. James did a fantastic job with the action sequences of that franchise, which is necessary for the role of Wolverine. Apart from that, James has done other drama series like Downton Abbey and The White Lotus to show his range of acting. Wolverine isn’t just a superhuman killing machine; he is much more complex and nuanced than that. With the range of Theo James, he could make for an interesting new take on Wolverine in the future MCU.
4) Alexander Ludwig
One of the main attributes of Logan’s character is that he gets angry quickly. Alexander Ludwig, whom most people know for his role as Bjorn Lothbork in the Vikings series, is one of the best actors that could portray Wolverine in this regard. Not only did he show his metal in Vikings, but he proved himself as a fantastic action actor in The Hunger Games and in Lone Survivor starring Mark Wahlberg. Ludwig has the chance of becoming the new Wolverine and with just 33 years of living under his belt, he’d be a good investment if Marvel plans to make many films featuring the character.
5) John David Washington
The son of the legendary Denzel Washington finally made his breakout performance in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman in 2018. Afterward, David Washington delivered the best performance of his career in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which truly introduced him to the world of sci-fi and action. He also showed off his acting skills in Malcolm & Marie starring Zendaya, and in Amsterdam opposite Margot Robbie. His next project is a post-apocalyptic movie called The Creator that depicts a war between humans and AI. Washington has proven with his choices of films that he has the range and physicality to become the new Wolverine.
6) Dacre Montgomery
Dacre Montgomery is known to most people for his role as Billy Hargrove in the Stranger Things series. Billy has some shared qualities with Wolverine. Both of them are hotheads who tend to solve things by using violence and force. Montgomery was fantastic in that role and could be a great option for the Wolverine mantle in the MCU. At just 28 years of age, Dacre Montgomery could be the best actor to play a younger version of Wolverine.
7) Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal is one of the new rising stars of this generation. His first big role was in the TV Mini-Series called Normal People based on the novel of the same name by Sally Rooney. He also appeared in Aftersun, an indie film that landed Mescal’s first Oscar nomination. Although he hasn’t made an action movie, he was recently cast as Lucius in Gladiator 2 and was recently spotted in the gym lifting weights to gain more muscle for the role. Mescal has the dedication to work on himself to portray the best version of any character.
8) Daniel Radcliffe
The star of the Harry Potter movies quickly changed his choice of roles after the last film of the franchise. Two years after the premiere of Deathly Hallows Part 2, Radcliffe starred in a mature movie with very adult themes called Horns to let the world know that he is capable of portraying non-innocent roles. Afterward, he did both action movies like Guns Akimbo and The Lost City as well as some indie and artsy films like Swiss Army Man. But the role that will solidify the idea of him becoming the next Wolverine was in the movie Jungle, a survival film released in 2016. With experience working on different types of films and knowing how to handle playing a central character in a big franchise, Daniel Radcliffe is one of the best possible actors to play the role of Wolverine in the MCU.
9) Scott Eastwood
Scott Eastwood has yet to become a big star like his father, Clint Eastwood. Yet, he has shown multiple times that he is a great and reliable actor when it comes to action movies. He appeared in the last two entries of the Fast and Furious franchise and his most notable work in a non-franchise film was Wrath of Man directed by Guy Ritchie. Eastwood’s face and physique have similarities with the comic versions of Wolverine, which is a big plus.
10) Taron Egerton
At the moment, the best actor that could fill the shoes of Hugh Jackman is Taron Egerton. His breakout role was in Kingsman: The Secret Service, which turned into a big franchise. He has shown multiple times in other films like Robin Hood that he is capable of doing amazing action-packed films. On the other hand, he also did some drama work in Tetris and Rocketman. It is worth mentioning that he worked with Hugh Jackman in Eddie the Eagle as well. With just 33 years of age and experience working in a big franchise and in physically demanding action roles, Taron Egerton not only could become the next Wolverine but would truly nail the role.
