After first playing the character way back when X-Men was released in 2000, Hugh Jackman confirmed earlier this year that the next Wolverine movie – which is currently set to be released in 2017 – is going to be his last before the Australian actor hangs up the claws for good. It’s easy to understand why he’d want to move on, but that’s done little to comfort fans who are now fretting about the future of the fan-favourite mutant.
Fox may decide to recast the role, or they could just put Wolverine on the shelf for a few years; after all, they’re banking on both Deadpool and Gambit being hits next year, and either one of those characters could become the new face of the franchise (Channing Tatum is probably the most obvious choice of the two).
[zergpaid]However, when asked by MTV if he has anyone in mind to take over the role, Jackman had this to say about his replacement:
“I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I’ve been asked that question a lot, and I’m always like, ‘I don’t want to make it too easy on the studio to replace me.’ [Laughs] I’ve still got one more to do, though I’m sure they’re already talking about it and there’s some actor out there who they’ve said, ‘Shh, keep it quiet, we want you next!’ He’s younger than me for sure, so I think Tom Hardy could be great.”
The Mad Max: Fury Road star is an undeniably great suggestion, but whether he’d want to take over the role of Wolverine is another matter altogether. If he’s interested though, it could work out. Hardy was considered for Doctor Strange by Marvel Studios and turned down a role in Suicide Squad due to a scheduling conflict, so his comic book movie calendar is definitely wide open at the moment.
Tell us, do you think Tom Hardy would be a good choice to play Wolverine? Let us know your thoughts below.