Probably one of the most daunting tasks as the X-Men eventually become a part of the MCU will be recasting Wolverine, whenever that becomes necessary. Hugh Jackman will forever be associated with the role as it has become a signature character played by the actor. Jackman has played the character ten times in total (including cameos) and it's just going to be a tough act for any actor to follow. Joe Russo, co-director along with his brother Anthony Russo on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, has weighed in on the matter a bit and he compares recasting Wolverine to finding an adequate replacement for Batman.
The Russo brothers are currently making the rounds promoting their upcoming film Cherry and during a recent appearance on the "Lights Camera Barstool" podcast, Joe Russo discussed the prospect of someone else playing Wolverine, and here is what he had to say about the matter:
"To realize him on screen, it's very hard because Hugh Jackman's performance is definitive. It's like Batman; you have to really think of a way to, you have to really find the right actor to come in and give a really different take to that character. But I would really love to see him on screen."
Batman is a pretty solid comparison, even though not one actor has played that role as many times as Jackman has played Wolverine. The Batman character is pretty definitive and whenever a new actor is brought in to play that role, he is under a bit of a microscope because the character is very important to the fans. Everyone has their favorite actor who has donned the cape and cowl but I would say that Michael Keaton and Christian Bale are at the top tier of performers who have taken on the role but there are other actors who have dared to do it to various degrees of success or failure. It's no easy role to take on and the same can be said for Wolverine, not only because the character is very popular with the fans but because Hugh Jackman is so closely associated with the role. Speaking further on the matter, Russo believes that the best way to bring Wolverine back in is to take a long enough break to distance Jackman's take on the role:
"I think the best thing is to take a break, without question. You need a [palate cleanser], you need to rinse the towel a little bit, let everyone enjoy what was, and then come up with something new. But I'd love to take a crack at Wolverine at some point."
Jackman last appeared as Wolverine in 2017's Logan so we are four years removed from that film and it's bound to be even more of a wait before the X-Men and Wolverine are introduced into the MCU. By that point, enough time should have passed for a new actor to step in without much criticism but Jackman is going to be a tough act to follow. No doubt about that.
Do YOU think Hugh Jackman will be difficult to replace as Wolverine?