Fans on social media have come up with the perfect recast for a comic-accurate shortWolverinein theMCU. As it stands,Wolverine is still tied to Hugh Jackmanafter thestar of the X-Men franchiserecently reprised hisrole inDeadpool & Wolverine, cementing his already unassailable legacy and making his version officially MCU canon. Still, no matter what Deadpool insists, it is unlikely that Disney will “Make him do this ‘til he’s 90,” and MCU fans have been eagerly offering their two cents on who should replace Jackman as Wolverine down the line.
This has culminated in a suggestion by@runaway_wiccanin a post on X thatthe role should be given to the up-and-coming “Short King,” Matt Wood, insisting “He’s literally perfect.” This is hard to argue, as a gallery of images depicting Matt Wood and Wolverine from Marvel Comics shows that he boasts a comic-accurate stature and even similar features to the X-Men icon. The original poster even insists that it was his breakout performance, not his physical appearance, that inspired their Wolverine fan cast.
Why Matt Wood Would Be The Perfect MCU Wolverine After Hugh Jackman
His John Belushi Exudes Wolverine Energy
Matt Wood is a relatively unknown actor who has mostly played bit parts in TV shows likeLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitandDifficult People. He has now made a splash, however, as John Belushi in Jason Reitman’sSaturday Night, which depicts the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the first-ever airing of Saturday Night Live. Matt Wood’s Belushi plays a key role in this chaos, ashe comes to blows with Cory Michael Smith’s Chevy Chase and generally exudes a surly demeanorwhile smoking cigarettes on set. The similarities, it seems, are quite stark.
Saturday Night’s John Belushi is ostensibly a comedy role, but Wood’s back catalog helps to prove his multifaceted talents.
Thankfully,Saturday Nighthas hit the mark with critics, with the movie currently sitting at 80% onRotten Tomatoes. This is good news for the stars, as its success will put them on the radar of blockbuster casting directors. Not only does Matt Wood tick the right boxes with physical comic book accuracy - a particularly difficult win to score with the 5'3" Wolverine - butMarvel’s habit of snapping up actorswho have only just got their foot in the door in Hollywood makes this a potential casting even more likely.
Our Take On Marvel Recasting Wolverine
Hugh Jackman Can’t Play Wolverine Forever
It doesn’t seem as though Jackman is done yet, surviving the explosiveending ofDeadpool & Wolverineto start a new life in Deadpool’s Earth-10005. This suggests that he will return alongside his frenemy in afuture MCU projectlikeAvengers: Secret Wars. Still,recasting Wolverine has become an inevitability, especially if Marvel followsAvengers: Secret Warswith a soft reboot of the MCU. Recasting most of the MCU’s current actors will play a key role in divesting the next saga from the two prior.
Casting 10 Perfect MCU X-Men After Kevin Feige’s Recent Comments
Kevin Feige has shared some details about which characters could be expected to be part of the MCU’s X-Men, and the team could use major actors.
Furthermore, it is less likely that Marvel will continue spotlightingWolverinein the new saga. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has been the de facto protagonist of Fox’s X-Men franchise for two decades - a fact that would have also hiked up his asking fee. It therefore makes sense for Marvel to cast a comparatively less famous actor in this particular role (to the chagrin of Cavillrine fans) - and after what I’ve seen, I’m totally on board with Matt Wood stepping up to the plate.
Wolverine
The human mutant Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) was born James Howlett, blessed with a superhuman healing factor, senses, and physiology. Subjecting himself to experimentation to augment his skeleton and claws with adamantium, Logan is as deadly as he is reckless, impulsive, and short-tempered. Making him the X-Men’s wildest and deadliest member, and one of Marvel Comics’ biggest stars. He’s played in Fox and Marvel’s movie franchises by Hugh Jackman.
