Summary
When people think about the character of Wolverine, Hugh Jackman instantly comes to mind. That’s because he’s been playing the role since 2000, and it was a breakout part for his entire career, both in and out of the comic book world. It took until 2024 for Jackman to enter theMarvel Cinematic UniverseinDeadpool & Wolverine, which proved to be a hit, but that doesn’t mean he has to return.
Marvel is currently looking ahead to some exciting prospects, given the characters who are set to join and the stories they intend to tell. But whether or not Jackman’s version of Wolverine will be part of that remains to be seen.
The X-Men Are Arriving Soon In The MCU
The X-Men are beloved comic book characters, but they have been missing from the MCU since it first launched. However, that’s all about to change as theX-Men are on their way to the MCU. This will give Marvel Studios the first chance to work with these characters and blend them into the vast ongoing storyline that already exists. This will lead to a plethora of new characters, but Wolverine is more than likely going to be part of that. Launching a new version of the X-Men without Wolverine would feel like a strange choice, given that he’s arguably the most popular mutant character.
However, when the group arrives, Marvel has the chance to hit the reset button on them from everything that has come before and to do that properly, Jackman shouldn’t be part of it. These mutants have all been recast previously on the big screen, but Wolverine was the exception as Jackman continued to reprise his role as the one constant in the mutant world. However, in the context of the MCU and the long-term plans that Marvel likely has for the mutants, this is now the ideal time to make thebig decision to recast Wolverineand allow a new actor to put their spin on the character.
Hugh Jackman Got His MCU Moment
Jackman’s version of Wolverine is beloved and is up there withRobert Downey Jr.’s portrayalof Iron Man as the most iconic superhero performance on the big screen to date. He’s been part of variousX-Menprojects that have ranged in quality, but seeing him in the MCU seemed like it was never going to happen. However, that all changed as he teamed up with Ryan Reynolds for their fourth-wall-smashing comic book movie that was extremely unique for Marvel Studios.
It gave Jackmanthe chance to make his own mark on the MCU, which he has deserved personally for all the years he’s dedicated to the character. He got his MCU moment, and Jackman took it with both hands and sets of claws and ensured that it was a memorable performance and an entertaining movie that people would keep coming back to. However, Jackman himself doesn’t need to keep returning as the time to move on has approached.
It’s Time To Focus On The Long-Term Future Of Wolverine
Audiences love the character of Wolverine, and he’s crucial to the X-Men, which means he’s going to be around in some capacity. However, having Jackman play the role could create a strange visual if Marvel Studios looks to hire a group of young actors to take on all ofthe other mutant characters, which is the expectation. It would be smart long-term booking for Marvel to bring in actors who could potentially play the roles for the next decade or two, and despite his incredible physique, Jackman doesn’t fit that mold.
Jackman is currently 56 years old and undoubtedly looked after himself physically, which was clear throughoutDeadpool & Wolverine, where he did not look out of place in a comic book movie. But will he be able to keep that up for another decade at a minimum, and is the character something he wants to keep playing, considering he’s already done it for 24 years? Marvel will be making a major investment byhaving the X-Men join the MCU, which opens up the ideal timing for a hard refresh on Wolverine. Marvel could have Jackman pop up one more time, potentially to even hand off the character to the new actor after a multiverse scene, but having him return to his own timeline and finally walk away from the role would allow Marvel to move on with a clean slate.
Ultimately, Jackman is always going to be associated with the character of Wolverine, as his performances were brilliant, and the timing of him taking on the role was perfect as the genre exploded in popularity afterward. However,his version of theX-Mencharacterhas run its course; it has had its perfect ending and a fun follow-up appearance, but now is the time to focus on the future, and that’s one within Marvel that shouldn’t include the Australian actor.
Marvel
Marvel is a brand associated with a wide array of popular superhero comics, movies, television shows, and merchandise. The company owns the rights to popular characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, and many more.
