Daniel Radcliffe has had a fascinating acting career, obviously kickstarted with playing the title role of the Harry Potter series. Since then, the 29 year-old actor has made a name for himself by taking challenging projects like Swiss Army Man, Horns, and his new TV series Miracle Workers. While he's consciously worked to distance himself from the Boy Who Lived, there's another famous character fans have been hoping he'd take on: X-Men icon Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman hung up the claws for good with James Mangold's Logan, leaving the character up for grabs. And with Disney and Fox's merger coming ever closer, the odds of a replacement Wolverine seems all the more likely. But Daniel Radcliffe doesn't seem to be taking rumors and theories about playing the mutant very seriously. As he recently explained:
This is what happens when you make jokes. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just start casting yourself in things by just saying them in interviews? So I guess people have been asking something about me and Wolverine, and I made a joke about [playing] Wolverine after being in a hot wash, like I’d been shrunk in a hot wash, and the internet seems to think that I was putting that out there on my dream board cosmic ordering system.
Well, that seems pretty clear. Daniel Radcliffe isn't actually serious about playing Wolverine, although he does seem amused by how quickly the internet has rallied behind the possibility. Sorry, bub.
Daniel Radcliffe's comments to IGN will likely elicit a mixture of reactions from fans of both Harry Potter and the X-Men. Potterheads would no doubt jump at the chance to see Radcliffe star is another major film franchise, especially one where he gets to go toe-to-toe with some more bad guys in the process. He's also made a name for himself as an adult actor, so the timing seems right for him to take on another iconic role.
But there are also some X-Men fans who took umbrage with this choice. Daniel Radcliffe is decidedly different in stature and attitude as Hugh Jackman, so there would be a noticeable juxtaposition between the two actors. The Harry Potter alum made a joke about his height, as he stands at just 5'5, compared to Jackman's hulking 6'2. Of course, hardcore comic fans will know that Wolverine is supposed to be a short and stocky guy, usually coming in at just 5'3. So if anything, Radcliffe's stature would only help bring a more comic-authentic look to the character.
Alas, Daniel Radcliffe doesn't actually seem interested in playing Wolverine, so all the discussion and awesome fan art is all for naught. Still, it should be fascinating to see what happens to Wolverine, especially as the mutants prepare to finally crossover in the MCU.
The next X-Men flick will be Dark Phoenix on June 7th, and you can watch Daniel Radcliffe in Miracle Workers Tuesdays on TBS. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
