Who Will Be Next Wolverine? Harry Potter Star Daniel Radcliffe Early Favourite
Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine in hotly-anticipated movie Deadpool & Wolverine later this month.
And while fans can't wait to see him team up with Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool) on July 26, plenty of talk on betting sites about who might take over from Jackman as the clawed character.
The actor holds the record for the longest stretch playing a Marvel Comics character on film after he first appeared as Wolverine in 2000 movie X-Men.
Michael Keaton may have starred as Batman for longer - 35 years after first playing the character in 1989's titular film - but several other actors have taken on the Dark Knight in other movies during that time.
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Jackman was going to quit playing Wolverine after 2017 movie Logan, but Reynolds tempted him back to make the superhero's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in Deadpool & Wolverine.
In 2022, Jackman told Deadline that Reynolds had been "constantly asking" him to play Wolverine in the movie, and he eventually realised he had unfinished business in the role.
He told the publication: "I’m a terrible poker player. All this time I was saying I was done, I really meant it. But anyway, somewhere deep down, this idea was obviously lurking and brewing."
After his Wolverine U-turn, some now think Jackman is here to stay for a bit longer, with the actor rumoured to be set to play Wolverine in 2026's Avengers 5 and 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, which marks the end of the Multiverse Saga.
It's also thought Marvel is moving ahead with an X-Men reboot - with a new crew - but not until after the Multiverse Saga.
Despite this, fans have been busy speculating that a new Wolverine actor could even be introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine, potentially during the film or in a post-credits scene.
But if there is to be a new Wolverine for the first time in 25 years, who will have the huge task of following in Jackman's footsteps?
Next Wolverine Odds
Actor | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
Daniel Radcliffe | 6/4 | 40% |
Karl Urban | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Taron Egerton | 3/1 | 25% |
Milo Gibson | 4/1 | 20% |
Scott Eastwood | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Paul Mescal | 11/2 | 15.4% |
Henry Cavill | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Tom Hardy | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Jeremy Allen White | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Antony Starr | 9/1 | 10% |
Jared Keeso | 10/1 | 9.1% |
There has been plenty of speculation about none other than Harry Potter being the next Wolverine.
Daniel Radcliffe has taken on the clawed hero role in numerous fan-castings, ever since Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed X-Men would be heading to the MCU.
Radcliffe himself has even joked that he has landed the part, but he had to backtrack when some thought he was being serious.
In 2023, he insisted during a lie-detector test with Vanity Fair that he hadn't been cast in the role, and Radcliffe admitted in a 2022 interview that he has fuelled speculation himself at times because of boredom.
He told Comicbook.com: "With the Wolverine thing, it's just something that I mistakenly like...I'll be very honest and just be like, 'That's not a thing and that's not happening.'
"And then every so often, I'll be bored of answering like that and I'll be like, 'Ha, come in and get me Marvel!' And like, that was the dumb thing to say. Why do I ever say that?"
Despite this, he has been asked about such speculation for the past five years, and the rumours still won't go away.
Radcliffe is the 6/4 favourite on specials betting sites to land the role of Wolverine post-Jackman, but he has a pair of Boys for competition.
Not actual boys, of course, but two stars of Amazon Prime Video hit The Boys.
Karl Urban, who portrays William "Billy" Butcher, and Antony Starr, who is John Gillman/Homelander in the series, have both been linked with the part of Wolverine.
Visually, Urban, who is 2/1 second favourite on betting apps, looks perfect for the part, with the beard and hair already there.
Starr is more of an outsider for the role at 9/1, but Taron Egerton is also likely to be part of the conversation.
The Rocketman actor has played various roles over the years, from Sir Elton John to spy Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin in the Kingsman film franchise, and he is just 3/1 to turn his hand to the clawed character next.
However, he has distanced himself from the part in the past.
In 2023, he told Total Film magazine: "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 are no signs pointing towards that being the thing."
However, Egerton also admitted he would "never say never" about taking on the part.
He added: "I don’t know. I’d never say never, and I do love those movies. I’ve really enjoyed watching them over the past 10, 15 years."
Mel Gibson and Clint Eastwood are two of the biggest Hollywood stars of our generation, and while they aren't being lined up to replace Jackman as Wolverine, their offspring could be in contention.
Gibson's son Milo is just 4/1 on new betting sites to take on the part after appearing in the likes of Hacksaw Ridge and All The Devil's Men, while Eastwood's son Scott Eastwood - who is known for the likes of Fast X, and Gran Torino - is 5/1.
Elsewhere, Paul Mescal has experienced a rapid rise to fame since appearing in 2020 TV series Normal People, and the Gladiator 2 star is just 11/2 to be the next Wolverine, ahead of the likes of The Bear's Jeremy Allen White (9/1) and Canadian actor Jared Keeso (10/1).
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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