‘X-Men: First Class’ Director Wanted to Cast Tom Hardy as a Younger Wolverine for the Sequel
The X-Men franchise was given a soft reboot with Matthew Vaughn’s movie First Class. But if Vaughn stuck around for the sequels, fans might have seen another actor as a young Wolverine besides Hugh Jackman.
Hugh Jackman once felt Tom Hardy would make a great Wolverine
Jackman has put in so many years as Wolverine that very few have played a live action superhero role longer than he has. But as synonymous as Jackman has become with the character, the day he’ll be re-cast is slowly approaching.
Many have wondered who would be worthy to take the mantle off of Jackman after he puts his claws away for good. It’s a question that Jackman himself has been asked several times.
“I haven’t really been given it a lot of thought. I’ve been asked that question a lot, and I’m always like, ‘I don’t want to make it too easy for the studio to replace me, you know?’ I’m sure they’re already talking about it, and there’s some actor, ‘shh, keep it quiet but we want you next,'” Jackson once told MTV News.
But even Jackman felt Hardy would be an actor ready to be Marvel’s new Wolverine.
“He’s younger than me for sure. I think Tom Hardy would be great,” he said.
Tom Hardy could’ve been Wolverine in an ‘X-Men: First Class’ sequel
Filmmaker Matthew Vaughn has always been a fan of Hardy, and has frequently advocated him for the role of Wolverine. Even after being far removed from the X-Men franchise, Vaughn felt Hardy would’ve been ideal to replace Jackman.
“Well, he’s got older now, but I would say Tom Hardy would have…been awesome,” Vaughn told ComicBook. “I think Taron [Egerton] could do it in his sleep. Aaron Taylor-Johnson could do it as well. I mean, I think Aaron or Taron would be my first two choices could do it really well.”
Back when he was still attached to the X-Men series, Vaughn might have made that casting happen. He already had Hardy in mind as the Marvel mutant after finishing up his version of the First Class sequels.
“When I finished the Days of Future Past script with it ready to go, I looked at it and said, ‘I really think it would be fun to cast Tom Hardy or someone as the young Wolverine and then bring it all together at the end,'” Vaughn recalled to CBR.
Hugh Jackman feels he’ll be an even better Wolverine now than he was before
Fans speculate that it’s only a matter of time before Jackman will be replaced as Wolverine. Although possible, it seems less likely that Hardy will get a turn as the rugged mutant. Aside from Hardy being older than he once was, he also has his hands full with his own Marvel franchise.
But before fans are introduced to a new Wolverine, Jackman will be unleashing his claws one more time in the upcoming Deadpool 3. If it keeps its 2024 release date, by then it will have been seven years since audiences last saw Jackman as Wolverine. Still, Jackman is confident that his new Wolverine will be unlike any fans have seen before.
“A little part of me now thinks I’d be better at it,” Jackman said in an interview with Variety. “Is that arrogance of age or something? Wolverine’s a tortured character — more tortured than me. But I always get the feeling of him being comfortable in his own skin. And I feel more comfortable in my own skin now, even though it’s messier.”
