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Credit: 20th Century StudiosAs the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to enter Phase Five with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) early next year (this year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will end Phase Four), many fans are wondering if they’ll get to see any of the X-Men make an appearance.
While we’ve had a few X-Men teasers in the MCU so far — Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and the ending of Disney+ series Ms. Marvel (2022) — no such projects were announced at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Related: 5 Actors Who Could Play Professor X In the MCU
In 2019, however, Marvel boss Kevin Feige told Collider that the MCU would introduce the X-Men, saying “It [X-Men] has been heavily discussed, as you might imagine. And we have a good feeling of where it’s going and when it’s going, but that all remains to be seen.”
It’s hard to believe that the MCU will ignore X-Men, especially now that they own all the Fox X-Men movies (which are technically now canon following the opening of the Multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and the X-Men cameo in the Doctor Strange sequel).
Related: Kevin Bacon Hopes Marvel Lets Him Join ‘X-Men’ Reboot
So, if Hugh Jackman isn’t set to reprise his role as the most iconic X-Men Logan/Wolverine in the MCU, who else is worthy of the adamantium-clad bone claws (and those epic mutton chops, of course)? Well, there are a few stars who we think definitely carry the “mutant gene”.
In no particular order, here are five actors who could play Logan/Wolverine…
5. Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton is no stranger to action movies, having appeared in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and its sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). As such, you might think he’d be best suited as the next James Bond — no pun intended — but not so fast.
It was recently reported that the 32-year-old actor is actually in talks with Marvel to play the next Logan/Wolverine — we’ll just have to wait and see what the outcome of that is. But let’s also not forget that Egerton also starred in Eddie the Eagle (2016) alongside Hugh Jackman.
So it would seem that the stars are aligned. And speaking of stars, he also rocks those mutton chops as Elton John in Rocketman (2019). Need we say more?!
Related: Marvel’s Kang the Conqueror to Blame for No ‘X-Men’ or ‘Fantastic Four’
4. Joe Keery
In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Stranger Things (2016) star Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington in the show, said that the attention his hair gets is “really ridiculous”. So let it be said that the reason we think he’s a great contender has nothing to do with his wild mane.
On a more serious note, in Stranger Things 4, there’s a scene in which Steve Harrington battles hellish bat creatures in the parallel universe known as the Upside Down. As he fights for his life, he appears to be an even wilder animal than his enemies, which makes him a great contender.
Keery quickly goes from lovable teen to rough-around-the-edges warrior, and he simply oozes Logan/Wolverine vibes from that moment until the end of the season.
Related: Marvel Reportedly Plans For X-Men to Take Over MCU After ‘Secret Wars’
3. Alan Ritchson
It’s fair to say that Alan Ritchson isn’t a household name like most others on this list — at least not yet. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t undertaken some impressive roles on both the silver screen and the small screen over the past 10 or so years.
While he has had numerous roles in television, particularly in DC shows Smallville (2005) and Titans (2018), many people don’t know that he actually plays Raphael in Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) reboot and its 2016 sequel, using motion capture performance.
But, oddly enough, there has already been a call from Marvel fans for the Reacher (2022) star to appear in the MCU!
Related: Every ‘X-Men’ Movie Ranked From Worst to Best
2. Miles Teller
We know what you’re thinking — Miles Teller already had a shot in a Marvel movie. Yes, the 35-year-old actor plays Dr. Reed Richards in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four (2015) reboot, which was a critical and financial disaster (you could say that it “Trank’d” at the box office).
But Teller has since flexed his acting muscles in films such as Whiplash (2014) and War Dogs (2016), and more recently, his actual muscles in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), the highest-grossing film of 2022, which has overtaken Avengers: Infinity War (2018) at the box office.
And it doesn’t matter that Teller has already played a Marvel superhero — Ben Affleck, Halle Berry, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans each have two alter egos under their utility belts.
Related: MCU Actor Reportedly Becoming ‘Batman’s Next Joker
1. Robert Pattinson
Speaking of Ben Affleck, there is another actor who we think would make a great Logan/Wolverine, who has also donned the iconic Gotham cape and cowl. Robert Pattinson, who plays Bruce Wayne/Batman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), could be a solid contender.
Pattinson, 36, is no stranger to playing superhumans, either, having portrayed vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies. While it’s something you might leave off your resume if you’re interviewing for Logan/Wolverine, Pattinson’s character does have super-healing abilities.
In the case of The Batman, though, Pattinson walks a fine line between hero and outcast anti-hero — perfect traits for the iconic X-Men character. He also looks pretty cool on a motorcycle.
Related: All Live-Action Batman Actors Ranked From Worst to Best
It remains to be seen when we will see an X-Men reboot in the MCU, but it’s possible something will be announced during this year’s D23 in September.
Meanwhile, actress Sandra Bullock believes that her The Lost City (2022) co-star Daniel Radcliffe would make a perfect Logan/Wolverine! However, the Harry Potter star has since confirmed that Marvel has not approached him about playing the character.
Who do you think should play Logan/Wolverine in the MCU? Let us know in the comments down below!