In March of 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, which thereby gave Marvel the rights to X-Men. It is thus only a matter of time before we see the animalistic Wolverine make an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but since Hugh Jackman left the role after 2017’s Logan, fans have been left to wonder who will be cast as the next Wolverine.
Director Matthew Vaughn, who was responsible for renewing the X-Men franchise with his film X-Men: First Class, recently spoke to Comicbook, where he revealed his top picks for who could play the iconic character.
“I think Taron [Egerton] could do it in his sleep. Aaron Taylor-Johnson could do it as well. I mean, I think Aaron or Taron would be my first two choices could do it really well.”
Vaughn’s first pick is no surprise considering that he’s worked closely with Egerton throughout the Kingsman franchise, not to mention Egerton’s extreme talent as an actor that landed him a BAFTA nomination and a Golden Globe for his performance as Elton John in the biopic Rocketman.
Vaughn’s second pick is also an actor he’s directed before, this time in the Kick-Ass films. Those who saw Taylor-Johnson don the green and yellow costume might not think he’s a perfect fit for Wolverine due to his childish look, but if you watch some of his more recent performances, such as in Outlaw/King and A Million Little Pieces, you’ll see that Taylor-Johnson is not only more rugged than he appears in the first Kick-Ass, but also has a dynamic emotional range that could easily help him slip into the role of Wolverine.
With no announcements as of yet from Marvel regarding a future appearance from Wolverine in the MCU, it could be a while before we see the beloved character hit screens again. Regardless of who is cast in the role, one thing is certain: the actor will have big claws to fill following Jackman’s career-defining performance as the character.
