For those who’ve been living under a rock, or maybe in an Adamantium cage without internet for quite a while, Disney is acquiring 21st Century Fox and with that comes the rights to the X-Men franchise and much more. It’s a massive move and in the future, we will probably see the X-Men, Deadpool and more in the MCU because of it. Before we get out of control with hopes and dreams here, one thing is for certain right now. There’s a hunt on for a new Wolverine, as Hugh Jackman is pretty much done with the role.
Related: Hugh Jackman Gets Guinness World Record For Wolverine
So who could possibly fill the boots of the extremely talented Australian actor and put on those Adamantium claws with style? That’s exactly what I have been thinking about for the last few days. Check out my 7 suggestions (and hopes) for the new Wolverine and the actors who would totally crush it in the role.
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles, who you should instantly recognize as Dean Winchester from the hit show Supernatural, is my top pick for the new Wolverine. Jensen is a bit tall, yes, but not as tall as his Supernatural co-star Jared Padalecki, whose name has been thrown around quite a lot for the role of Wolverine.
In my opinion, Jensen is pretty much the perfect fit and he will surely look fantastic in chops. His scruffy look in Supernatural, as well as his great personality simply screams Wolverine. With Supernatural Season 14 well underway already, one also has to wonder how long the show can still last. At nearly 41 years old, there is still time for Jensen to have a long career as the new Wolverine and he even has some superhero experience, as he did some voice acting in Batman: Under the Red Hood as The Red Hood.
Richard Armitage
You might know Richard Armitage from Lord of the Rings, where he played Thorin. He has that same grizzled look as Hugh Jackman, has theatre training, and just absolutely looks the part. Speaking about parts, he already voiced Wolverine in the Wolverine: The Long Night, Marvel’s first scripted podcast last year. His voice, physique and everything else is just perfect for the role of Wolverine.
The only downside of casting Richard Armitage would be his age. At 47 years old, he is only three years younger than Hugh Jackman, so the part of Wolverine probably won’t be Armitage’s one for a decade like some of the other contenders in this article, if he gets it of course. Even so, just look at the image below and tell me he wouldn’t make a fantastic Wolverine.
Liam Hemsworth
You might have seen Liam Hemsworth in The Expendables 2 or The Hunger Games, but let’s face it, as far as superhero stuff goes, you probably recognized his surname first. Yes, he is the brother of Chris Hemsworth who portrays Thor in the MCU. Wouldn’t it be grand to have not one, but two Hemsworth brothers in Marvel films going forward? Yes, yes it would!
Liam is 29 years old, which is a bit young for a new Wolverine if you ask me. However, he has that rough look down and he is no stranger to action roles. Just like Hugh Jackman, he was also born in Australia, can grow quite the beard and he is simply a great actor that already has the body build required to jump into the boots of Weapon X.
Travis Fimmel
Ragnar Lothbrok, sorry, I mean Travis Fimmel, is no stranger to a violent role featuring sharp objects. Making a name for himself in the hit TV series Vikings over on the History Channel, Travis could very well be the new Wolverine one day. He has that grizzled look down, with piercing eyes and a great physique.
At the age of 39, Travis could play the part of Wolverine for a decade and that’s what we are really looking for. There is no doubt in my mind that he is on a shortlist somewhere for the role of Wolverine. You might also know him from the film Warcraft: The Beginning as Anduin Lothar. Further, he is also Australian born, so if Travis does replace Hugh Jackman, it would simply make perfect sense.
Scott Eastwood
Hugh Jackman channelled Clint Eastwood in Logan, presumably his final appearance as Wolverine and according to an interview, Jackman wanted Logan to end like Unforgiven. Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott Eastwood, definitely wants to play the role of Wolverine as well, which would be a perfect transition through generations. Scott would be 100% down with taking on the role of the new Wolverine, as he made clear in an interview with Screenrant, and further stating that:
“I love Wolverine. He’s one of my favorite comic book characters of all time. He’s a renegade. Total badass renegade. He’s kind of, you know, a loose cannon…doesn’t play by the rules…he’s the kind of character that I love.”
At 32 years of age, Scott could be a perfect fit for a new generation of fans. He also has some experience in the comic book movie field, as he portrayed Lieutenant GQ Edwards in Suicide Squad.
Dafne Keen
Please don’t come after me with adamantium pitchforks here, but Dafne Keen is kind of the new Wolverine already. Dafne portrayed the role of X-23, a clone created from Wolverine’s DNA in the film Logan, alongside Hugh Jackman in his last role as the iconic character. She kicked some serious ass during the film and everything about her just worked on the big screen, from her viciousness to her relationship with Logan, and her powers, there is no doubt that she can become the new Wolverine, depending on what timeline the X-Men franchise will follow in the future.
The only real issue here is that she won’t be the Wolverine we all know and love for decades as she can’t technically portray the role of Logan aka James Howlett, but instead a new take. It all depends what Marvel and Disney want to do after the Fox acquisition, but since the actor is only 14 years old, there’s a lot of time to grow and she could portray the role of a new, female Wolverine for decades to come.
Tom Hardy
This last pick is a bit of a wild one, due to the fact that Tom Hardy already plays the role of Eddy Brock, aka Venom. Further, with Venom 2 in development, the chances of Tom Hardy as the new Wolverine is very slim. Even so, his character and look, as well as his length would be close to perfect for the role of Wolverine.
Although many didn’t enjoy the Venom film, I, for one, loved Tom’s style of acting and it looked good. For the most part, Tom Hardy could very well crush it as the new Wolverine if he had the chance. If you want to see Tom Hardy in some brutal action, then look no further than his brilliant performance in the TV show Taboo, then get back to me and tell me if he would make a great Wolverine.
Which actor do you think would be the perfect fit to replace Hugh Jackman as the new Wolverine? Let us know in the comment section below.
