Hugh Jackman and Henry Cavill as Wolverine variants in the MCU

Hugh Jackman previously revealed which British actor he wanted to take over as Wolverine after he hung up the claws, and it wasn’t Henry Cavill. Following his official MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, Hugh Jackman has now portrayed James “Logan” Howlett’s Wolverine in live-action for 24 years, which makes it difficult to imagine anybody else taking over the role. However, Jackman is one of three actors who’ve played Wolverine in live-action, with the most recent new iteration imagining a beloved British star as the iconic X-Men member.

While Troye Sivan portrayed a younger version of Logan in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a new variant of Wolverine was introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine, portrayed by Henry Cavill. Cavill is perhaps best known for portraying Clark Kent’s Superman in the DCEU prior to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s reboot, and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool even jokes that Cavill will be taken better care of in the MCU. Even so, it’s unclear whether Henry Cavill will be playing the MCU’s official Wolverine, meaning Hugh Jackman’s original dream successor could still take the role.

Hugh Jackman Wanted Tom Hardy To Continue Wolverine’s Legacy

Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock speaking to Venom with a chicken in Venom

Back in 2015, Hugh Jackman spoke to MTV UK during the press tour for Pan and was asked who he could imagine taking over as Wolverine if 20th Century Fox were to recast him after Jackman’s departure. Jackman was set to retire as Wolverine following the release of 2017’s Logan, so Fox could certainly have taken this route, and Jackman wanted English actor Tom Hardy to fill his shoes. Even though he notes he doesn’t want to “make it too easy” to replace him, he suggested that Tom Hardy would be “great.”

Tom Hardy rose to prominence with outstanding performances in Bronson, Legend, Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant, to name a few, and has also shown his incredible dramatic and comedic talents on the small screen in Peaky Blinders and Taboo. He made his superhero franchise debut in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises as the villainous Bane, but is perhaps better known as Eddie Brock in Sony’s Venom movies. Hardy’s often-gritty and tough roles prove that he’d make for a fantastic Wolverine, and Hugh Jackman’s dream casting could still come to fruition.

Tom Hardy Could Still Become Wolverine In The MCU’s Future

Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock in a Mexico bar in Spider-Man No Way Home post-credits scene

Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock throws a spanner in the works, especially after 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home brought Hardy’s Venom into the MCU’s main continuity, albeit briefly. However, the magic of the multiverse means that Hugh Jackman’s dream Wolverine casting can still happen. The MCU’s Wolverine hasn’t been seen yet, nor has Eddie Brock, so Tom Hardy could easily play the former, while a new actor debuts a younger Eddie Brock. Marvel Studios and Sony wouldn’t even need to share Hardy, as his time as Venom is soon coming to an end.

Tom Hardy is set to return as the Lethal Protector in 2024’s Venom: The Last Dance, but this trilogy-capper is expected to be his final solo movie as Eddie Brock. It’s unclear whether he will continue to play the character in other projects, or even crossover into the MCU. If he doesn’t, however, the door will be open for Tom Hardy to debut as the MCU’s official Wolverine. It remains to be seen who will be cast as the new Wolverine after Hugh Jackman, but either Henry Cavill or Tom Hardy would be excellent choices.