Zac Efron is one of the most popular A-list actors working in the film industry today, jumping from crowd-pleasing comedies to hard-hitting drams with confidence. But while he's jumped into a number of different genres, he still hasn't made an appearance in a superhero film. This doesn't mean he hasn't been considered for such a property, but he just hasn't been signed on to anything concrete so far.
That hasn't stopped the rumor mill from focusing on him. With the announcement that Angeline Jolie has joined the cast of the upcoming Eternals, speculation has suggested that Efron is up for another superhero role -- or rather, up for the same role for which he was previously considered. With new speculation suggesting Efron might be considered to take on the role of Adam Warlock in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (appearing either in Eternals or the newly reconfirmed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), let's look back at some of the other superhero roles Efron has speculated to have been in contention for, and why exactly fans seem to want him involved in at least one super hero universe.
Zeffron is The Hero We Deserve
Zac Efron was rumored to be in talks to take on the role at Marvel as early as 2014. Rumors suggested that Efron might be considering taking on the role of Adam Warlock, back when Warlock was intended to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The introduction of the character was ultimately cut, but teased during the after-credits scene of the film. This hasn't been confirmed one way or another, although it is known that Efron at least took a meeting with Marvel.
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Efron was also rumored to have been potentially attached to the upcoming Nightwing film, in the title role. And while Efron might be handsome and charming enough to bring Dick Grayson to the big screen in all his glory, those rumors have also proven to go nowhere. Rumors tying the actor to the DC role were shot down by director Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie).
More than just within studio casting ideas, it seems that fans are just as obsessed with bringing Zac Efron to a superhero universe. Fan art has turned the actor into a number of different superheroes over the years. Artist BossLogic created his own idea of what a new MCU take on the Fantastic Four, which imagined Zac Efron as Johnny Storm/Human Torch (as well as picturing John Cena as Ben Grimm/The Thing, John Krasinski as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Emily Blunt as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman).
Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has been open about his desire to see a new actor take on the role over a more mainstream actor, such as the rumored Efron or Daniel Radcliffe. However, that hasn't stopped some digital artists from imagining Efron taking on the role in pieces of fan art (also by BossLogic) in an incredibly believable mock-up. As a bonus, if Efron were to hypothetically take on the role, it would mean the musical The Greatest Showman would star both Wolverines AND Mary Jane (with Zendeya having in the film as well).
Why We Want Super Efron So Bad
So what about Zac Efron makes audiences want to see the actor in a superhero film? Efron has been an out-right film star since the release of the first High School Musical, but he quickly elevated beyond the typical Disney star. It helped that the actor was effortlessly charming, even from an early stage.
Another consistent factor probably has something to do with the fact that he's an objectively handsome man with a body that is so superhumanly impressive, that it has been used as a literal plot point in films like Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (WARNING: video is NSFW).
Zac Efron is so handsome, he made enough people fall in love with his portrayal of real life serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil & Vile that streaming service Netflix had to actually come out and ask people to stop calling him sexy on social media.
His natural charm would fit in well with the overall tone of something like the MCU or even the DC Extended Universe, now that franchise has left behind brooding superhero narratives to embrace films like Shazam! and Aquaman. He's also just a solid young actor with no experience in the genre, making him an exciting prospect, even just to see what he would be like in one of these movies. Then again, if we're being completely honest... it's probably the abs.