The X-Men’s Dark Phoenix will land in cinemas this week yet talks have already turned to the future cast of the iconic franchise.
Most importantly, which actor will take over the role of Wolverine?
Hugh Jackman will leave huge shoes, or rather claws, to fill when he retires from the role as Marvel’s anti-hero this year.
Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg revealed he thinks Tom Hardy could be the man for the job.
Speaking to GamesRadar, Kinberg said:
I can’t imagine anybody but Hugh Jackman playing it… but if I think about actors who are just really interesting, and that I’d love to work with, Tom Hardy comes to mind; Richard Madden I think is a great actor.
Tom Hardy is no stranger to superhero roles – starring in Marvel’s Venom and as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises – but Kinberg understands Wolverine would be a massive undertaking for any big named actor.
He said:
One of the things that was so great about Hugh is that he was an unknown actor. He was a musical theatre actor from Australia that no one really knew.
So I think if ever there was going to be a new Wolverine, I think the best place to look would be to discover somebody new.
Not everyone is rooting for Hardy to take on Wolverine.
Fellow British actor Richard Madden was also suggested for the role.
While Dark Phoenix’s starring actress, Sophie Turner, fancies Keanu Reeves as the superhero.
‘Well, I know they’re kind of the same age, but I think Keanu Reeves would be a good Wolverine,’ she told GamesRadar. ‘I love me some Keanu Reeves.’
Dark Phoenix’s hits UK cinemas on 7 June 2019.
Ed Watkinson is a content strategist and editor at UNILAD. Having worked for several large media agencies for over 10 years, he joined LADbible Group in 2017 and has been overseeing organic content performance since then.