Actor Hugh Jackman, who remains the only actor to portray Wolverine in live-action, recently responded to rumors that Taron Egerton might play the iconic X-Men character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In an interview with Empire Magazine, Jackman praised his Eddie the Eagle co-star, but stated, "Taron is one of the most talented actors out there. And you can see his range is incredible. But he's just got to cool his heels a little bit."
Egerton first gained attention starring alongside Colin Firth in Matthew Vaughn’s 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service and its 2017 sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. It was reported some time later that Egerton was in talks with Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios about potentially playing Wolverine. However, the outcome of those talks are currently unknown. In regard to taking on the role of the Wolverine, Egerton previously expressed, "I'd be excited but I'd be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I’d wonder if it’d be very difficult for someone else to do it."
Hugh Jackman's Wolverine
Jackman’s debut as the iconic character came in Fox’s 2000 film X-Men. He continued to play Logan/Wolverine in nine different films for 17 years, before his character’s heroic conclusion in the 2017 film Logan, loosely based on the Old Man Logan storyline. While Jackman insisted he was retiring from the character in the years that followed, he joined Ryan Reynolds last year in announcing that he will play Wolverine once again in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
While details concerning the film are scarce, Jackman has clarified that it will not interfere with the poignant ending of Logan. He stated, "All because of this device they have in the Marvel world of moving around timelines, now we can go back because you know it's science... And so I don't have to screw with the Logan timeline which was important to me and I think probably to the fans too."
At the time of writing, Marvel Studios has not announced any plans for future appearances of Wolverine or any potential casting decisions relating to the role. However, Feige has previously confirmed the X-Men will eventually make their debut in the MCU.
Deadpool 3 is currently scheduled to open in theaters on Nov. 8, 2024.
Source: Empire Magazine, via Screen Rant