Before cinematic universes became commonplace, the superhero genre hit theaters with the X-Men movies. While that ended back with Dark Phoenix, mutants gained the potential of joining the MCU thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Since then fans have theorized who might make up the team in an upcoming Marvel movie, with some hoping to see The Boys’ Karl Urban replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Now Urban has responded to those fan rumors about him playing the clawed X-Man.
Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for over 15 years on the big screen, so there are some pretty big shoes to fill for whoever manages to land the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A number of actors have been named by fans, including Daniel Radcliffe, Superman actor Henry Cavill, and (you guessed it) Karl Urban. The latter actor was recently asked by The Guardian about the calls to see him as Logan 2.0, responding with:
Oh really? It’s flattering, but you have to rationally think about it. I’m what, two years younger than Hugh Jackman? [It is closer to four years.] I mean, if I was a studio looking to cast someone as Wolverine, I’d pick someone I’ll get three films out of. You’re not going to get three films out of Karl Urban unless you want a 65-year-old Wolverine.
Well, there you have it. While Karl Urban seems thrilled to even be in the conversation surrounding who might play Wolverine in the MCU, he doesn’t seem to think he’s got much of a chance of being cast. Namely because he’s already 49 years-old at the time of writing this story. And as such, he thinks that the studio might go with a younger actor who can have a long tenure in Logan’s yellow costume.
While Karl Urban’s comments about being the same age as Hugh Jackman isn’t totally accurate, it’s easy to understand his point about the next Wolverine. Playing an action-heavy role like Wolverine requires a ton of physical work, including the potential for injuries. So perhaps Kevin Feige and company would cast a younger actor to play the role, in hopes of a long run as the character. After all, the X-Men are a fan favorite group of Marvel heroes.
Mutants were noticeably absent throughout the first three Phases of the MCU, as Fox’s X-Men franchise continued releasing new installments. But when Disney acquired the studio and its properties, Marvel fans began wondering when the X-Men would finally join the shared universe. Kevin Feige has teased that this is coming down the line, but his plans haven’t been revealed to the general public.
The first X-Men crossover moment happened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, although it didn’t include Wolverine and/or Karl Urban. Instead, Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Professor X during the Illuminati sequence of Sam Raimi’s blockbuster. This seemingly confirmed mutants exist in the MCU, although we haven’t seen them in the main timeline.
The next installment in the MCU is Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
