The casting for Marvel Studios' next X-Men film is slowly but surely taking shape. Over the past few months, several actors have already been announced to play the famous mutants, including Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Adam Driver as Mr Sinister. But one eagerly awaited name was still missing, probably the most important of the lot: the next Wolverine. And according to the latest rumours, Marvel Studios has already approached Jeremy Allen White, the star of The Bear and of the Bruce Springsteen biopic, about taking over Hugh Jackman's claws. The information comes from
journalist Jeff Sneider, who mentions talks around the much-coveted role, with an initial appearance potentially serving to establish the character before giving him a far bigger place in future Marvel films. In short, Wolverine wouldn't necessarily be at the heart of this new X-Men outing, but his introduction would set up what comes next.
The choice would certainly make a degree of sense. Jeremy Allen White has already shown he can physically transform his body for a role, as he did in The Iron Claw, where he played wrestler Kerry Von Erich. His physique, his intensity on screen and his knack for playing tormented characters could suit a fresh take on Logan. But it's a tall order. Ever since Bryan Singer's first X-Men back in 2000, Hugh Jackman has left such a mark on the character that it's hard to imagine anyone else with the adamantium claws. His return in Deadpool & Wolverine even gave the impression he wasn't quite ready to hang up the suit. Rumour has it, in fact, that he'll be back in Avengers: Doomsday for what will probably be a tragic ending in Secret Wars... Either way, we'll have to wait for the film's release on 18 December to find out how Marvel plans to handle the transition between the various generations of superheroes.
In the meantime, a reminder that behind the camera, the X-Men reboot will be directed by Jake Schreier, the man behind Thunderbolts. The script and plot details remain under wraps, which is hardly surprising given the upheaval the next Avengers films are expected to cause in the MCU. The film is currently slated for release on 5 May 2028. Until then, we'll have to wait for official confirmation to know whether Jeremy Allen White really is the next Logan, or whether Marvel is considering another option.
