Next Wolverine Odds: Dafne To Step Up, Sinners & Harry Potter Stars Also Tipped
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) chief Kevin Feige has said an X-Men recast is "inevitable" at some point, which has led to rumours on betting sites about who might be the new Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman has portrayed the clawed character, who is also known for his powerful self-healing abilities, for a whopping 26 years, and he has joked he will play Wolverine until he is 90 years old.
Whether or not that happens, it is widely expected that Jackman will reprise his role for 2027 movie Avengers: Secret Wars, but who knows after that.
Dafne's Keen
There's one star who has been regularly tipped to take over as Wolverine, and she has a close association to the role.
Dafne Keen first portrayed Wolverine's biological daughter Laura Kinney/ X-23 in 2017's Logan when she was a child actress, and she returned for 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine - after previously denying her involvement in the motion picture. But Keen hasn't ruled herself out of portraying Wolverine one day.
When asked what it's like to have fans rooting for her to become the MCU's Wolverine, she told Comic Book Movie: "Yeah, I mean, it means so much to me. I always think it's so special that something that we made 10 years ago still has an impact. And I know that I love that character so dearly.
"And it means so much to me that so many people love her as much as I do. And it's so special to know that what you've made means something."
Keen also admitted she was "very happy" to speak about being linked to Wolverine, so it's no surprise she is 5/4 favourite on betting apps to take on the role.
Feige has said the upcoming MCU's eventual X-Men reboot will feature a "very youth-oriented" cast.
However, Wolverine may not even be part of the main cast, meaning when Jackman does finally hang up his retractable adamantium-laced claws, it won't necessarily be a youngster replacing him.
Next Wolverine Odds:
Candidate | Odds | Probability |
Dafne Keen | 5/4 | 44.4% |
Jack Reynor | 13/8 | 38.1% |
Jack O'Connell | 15/8 | 34.8% |
Taron Egerton | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Aidan Turner | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Richard Madden | 3/1 | 25% |
Tom Hardy | 7/2 | 22.2% |
Daniel Radcliffe | 4/1 | 20% |
Dacre Montgomery | 9/2 | 18.2% |
Danny Ramirez | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Charlie Hunnam | 11/2 | 15.4% |
Kit Connor | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Aneurin Barnard | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Shah Rukh Khan | 20/1 | 4.8% |
An Irish Wolverine?
Irish pair Jack Reynor (13/8) and Aidan Turner (5/2) are also in contention for the coveted role. Reynor has been a regular during fan casts for Wolverine should Jackman make way in the coming years. The Transformers: Age of Extinction star is no stranger to a huge blockbuster, and he seems a good fit for the role.
Turner is someone who certainly has the acting credentials for the part, and he has the rugged look required, too. But Sinners star Jack O'Connell could provide some huge competition for the pair. O'Connell is the right stature to take on the role, and the former Skins star could play the superhero's unconventional kind of charisma with ease.
"Dafne Keen becoming the next Wolverine would be a natural legacy transition, but if Marvel decide to go in a new direction they could opt for a Jack - Reynor or O'Connell. Tom Hardy has been heavily linked in the past after a suggestion by Hugh Jackman himself, but he may have outgrown the part. However, he's far more likely to be the new Wolverine than Jackman's other previous suggestion, 60-year-old Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan." - James Leyfield
Welsh actor Taron Egerton would also no doubt be in the conversation. The Rocketman actor is a 2/1 shot to become the clawed character next, but he has played down such links in the past.
Speaking to Total Film magazine in 2023, he said: "That whole Wolverine thing - I get asked about it and no matter what you say, it gets turned into what people want you to say about it. I’m not going to be the guy to play Wolverine. "There’s no signs pointing towards that being the thing. And I just don’t know if I’m maybe ... I don’t know."
Hugh's Hard(y) Choice
Jackman has previously tipped up Tom Hardy (7/2) to take on the role - but that was a while ago now. Speaking in 2015, Hugh told MTV News: "He’s younger than me for sure, [but] I think Tom Hardy would be a great [Wolverine]."
However, there could be complications because Hardy played Eddie Brock in Sony's Venom franchise. Jackman also once suggested Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan (20/1) could land the part one day.
When asked in 2017 by popular Indian film critic Rajeev Masand about how he might feel seeing another actor playing Wolverine, he said: "I think I’ll be fine with it. I hope other people play it. Maybe Shah Rukh Khan could play it!"
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has also been linked to the part. Radcliffe is a 4/1 shot, but has previously played down such speculation. Daniel once told Comic Book: "Being the person who follows Hugh Jackman is not on my bucket list for anything."
Scottish actor Richard Madden (3/1) might have more of a chance, or if the MCU do opt for a younger star then 22-year-old Kit Connor (8/1) could be a great long-term investment for Marvel.
Who do you think should be the next Wolverine? Let us know in the comments below!
