In the wake of Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios will reboot the X-Men franchise with a new cast. Many of those actors have already been revealed, but what of Wolverine? Hugh Jackman has been playing the clawed mutant since 2000, and will be a tough act to follow.
The studio surely won't want to keep Logan on the shelf for long, as the character is a major box office draw and bound to lead his own series of solo movies somewhere down the line.
Jeff Sneider is on the hunt to find out who will play the next Wolverine, and reveals that, "There are whispers that Jeremy Allen White has met with Marvel to discuss what is expected to be a small role in its upcoming X-Men reboot."
He adds that this "would lead to more screen time down the line. A lot more."
The insider, who was first to break the news about Sadie Sink playing Jean Grey, believes that White is in the mix for the role and correctly points out that the actor is arguably in need of a hit. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, The Social Reckoning, and The Mandalorian and Grogu all either flopped or underperformed at the box office, so the X-Men reboot would be an effective way for The Bear star to bounce back.
At 5'7", he's more height-appropriate than the 6'2" Jackman—Wolverine is 5'3" in the comics—and is someone fans frequently suggest for the role. White looks the part, too, and has three SAG Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards to his name.
We'll see if this pans out, but a Wolverine cameo in X-Men that sets up his MCU future is a hugely exciting prospect. Marvel Studios has a lot to consider with how James Howell is portrayed moving forward, but a romantic interest in Jean Grey isn't off the table, given that White is only 35 and Sink is 24.
Directed by Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*), the untitled X-Men movie stars Kit Connor (Heartstopper) as Scott Summers, Sadie Sink (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) as Jean Grey, Inde Navarrette (Obsession) as Rogue, Asa Germann (Gen V) as Angel, Ben Wang (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping), Maya Boyd (& Juliet) as Storm, and Christopher Abbott (Catch-22) as Professor Charles Xavier.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) also stars as Emma Frost, alongside Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), who plays Nathaniel Milbury, an alias of Mister Sinister in the comics. There are also rumours that Marvel Studios will introduce Apocalypse as the next Saga's big bad.
X-Men will be released exclusively in theaters May 5, 2028.