Hugh Jackman has a preference for who should replace him as Wolverine in the MCU, but it might be impossible thanks to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Deadpool & Wolverine has officially brought Wolverine to the MCU, with Hugh Jackman playing several multiversal Wolverine variants in the course of the movie. Now that his yellow-clad “Worst Wolverine” remains alive and kicking in Deadpool’s universe, Earth-10005, it remains possible that Jackman will reprise his Wolverine role down the line, possibly as part of a multiversal clash in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

Despite Deadpool’s gleeful assertion that Marvel Studios will keep Jackman as Wolverine “until he’s 90,” the MCU will likely debut its own Wolverine some time after the Multiverse Saga ends. Fan casts for the MCU’s version of Wolverine have been unsurprisingly rampant in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of Fox, with Henry Cavill being a popular choice vindicated by his appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman’s preference, meanwhile, is for a popular actor who is difficult to argue with.

Hugh Jackman’s Tom Hardy Wolverine Casting Pick Would Have Been A Perfect Choice

Tom Hardy’s Movie Roles Are Convincing Credentials

Nine years ago, while on a press tour for Pan, Jackman was asked by MTV UK (via YouTube) which actor he would pick to replace him as a younger version of Wolverine. While Jackman responded that he still has “one more movie” to film within Fox’s X-Men franchise (Logan), he chose Tom Hardy to be his successor. Thanks to Jackman still being in the midst of the role, Wolverine fan casts weren’t nearly as prevalent at the time as they are now, making Jackman’s own fan cast an inspired choice, as Tom Hardy would make an excellent Wolverine.

Tom Hardy has a decorated career portraying loners, tough guys, and complex characters with violent tendencies (and the muscle to boot). He also boasts a more comic-accurate height of 5’9″ compared to Jackman’s 6’2″, which is at least slightly closer to Wolverine’s 5’3″. Hardy’s star power compared to Jackman in 2000 is also easier to afford should the MCU’s X-Men opt to spotlight other characters ahead of Wolverine in the future. To top it off, Hardy has now starred in two superhero franchises – though his time as Venom might frustrate his potential move to the MCU.

Tom Hardy’s Venom Role Makes An MCU Wolverine Future Seem Almost Impossible

Tom Hardy Already Portrays A Prominent Marvel Character

Tom Hardy has made a significant impression as two prominent characters from DC and Marvel Comics: Bane and Venom. This makes him a comic book movie veteran, but it also hampers his chances to join the MCU thanks to the latter role. So far, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom has carried Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, keeping the franchise afloat where Morbius and Madame Web failed to flourish critically or financially. The further Sony decides to forge ahead with the franchise with Venom as its money-spinner, the more out of reach the MCU becomes for Tom Hardy.

Thanks to his association with Eddie Brock, it is difficult to see Tom Hardy embody another Marvel role, even if it is in another franchise. This would be especially confusing if the MCU decided to ever capitalize on the symbiote that may have been left behind in the MCU, as it was Hardy’s Venom that left it there. On the other hand, the current state of Sony’s Spider-Man franchise may be a boon for Hardy’s MCU chances, after all.

Why Tom Hardy Could Still Be Wolverine In The MCU

The Venom Franchise Could End Soon

Sony’s third Venom movie, Venom: The Last Dance, is slated for release on October 25, 2024. The fact that it is subtitled “The Last Dance,” and that Hardy has referred to it as such, suggests that this will indeed be Hardy’s last outing for Sony in the eponymous role. While modern movie franchises may have set a precedent for continuing ad infinitum, ending after a trilogy is still a common practice that Tom Hardy may wish to follow with his Venom movie, drawing a line beneath the franchise and hopefully ending on a high note.

Even if Hardy and Sony do continue with Venom, the MCU recently cemented the idea in Deadpool & Wolverine that the multiverse houses completely different characters that look identical to one another.

Given every Spider-Man movie that’s part of the MCU is technically released by Sony, the future of Spider-Man and Venom within the MCU is shaky, as Sony is increasingly less likely to drop the rights to such a profitable character. With that in mind, all it would take is for Hardy to depart from the Venom franchise to open him up to an MCU role. By the time the MCU debuts a new Wolverine, the Venom in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe will also be several years old – making Hugh Jackman’s dream replacement more viable than ever.