Fans have long posited that Taron Egerton would be a good fit to replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, ever since the actor hung up the adamantium claws and left the role. Now, it seems Egerton has actually had a meeting with MCU chief Kevin Feige and has teased fans that he could indeed be taking on the mantle of the iconic X-Men character.
Since the merger of Disney and Fox back in 2019, there has been anticipation that the mutants of the X-Men world will enter the MCU timeline, and Feige has confirmed there are plans to introduce them in an MCU movie at some point in the future. When exactly that happens, and who takes on the various roles of these new MCU characters, remains to be seen.
In an interview with the New York Times, Egerton confirmed he has held talks with Marvel Studios and Feige about becoming a part of the MCU, and was more than forthcoming about his aspirations of replacing his friend Hugh Jackman.
“I’d be excited but I’d be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I’d wonder if it’d be very difficult for someone else to do it,” Egerton admitted. “Hopefully if it does come around, they’ll give me a shot,” he concluded.
There’s plenty of roles the Kingsman actor could be in line for though, and we should know by now that nothing is ever as it seems when it comes to Marvel. So, here’s our thoughts on who Egerton might play.
Wolverine
OK, so all signs really do point to Wolverine being the most likely role for Egerton. We already know that bringing the mutant race into the MCU is a big priority for Feige and his team, so it makes sense that they would be making moves to lock in such a key character.
Egerton has strong links with Jackman after the pair appeared in the movie based on a true story, Eddie the Eagle, back in 2016, so maybe the Australian actor has put in a good word for his buddy to replace him.
The Thing
While we know the X-Men are in the pipeline, an even more pressing matter for the Feige will be the small case of bringing Marvel’s first family to life, as the Fantastic Four MCU release date is on the horizon for Phase 4.
Egerton could be a great option to play Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing. It would be a shame to cover his pretty face in rocks, but we’re sure Egerton would relish the chance to play such a hard-hitting superhero.
Eddie Brock
Yes, we know there’s already an Eddie Brock in the MCU, sort of. But, while Tom Hardy has played the Spider-Man villain in two Venom movies, and appeared in the post-credits of Spider-Man: No Way Home, that little scene made it pretty clear that Marvel doesn’t want that version of the character.
Egerton certainly has the charm and the right look to play Brock, and could also meet the more physical demands of playing a guy who turns into a bulky monster from space.
Captain Britain
Here’s where it gets a little more exciting, and a lot more speculative. There are currently no plans to introduce Captain Britain to the MCU, but surely it can’t be long before Feige looks to bring Brian Braddock to the big screen.
After we finally saw Hayley Atwell fulfil the role of Captain Carter in Doctor Strange 2 as part of Marvel’s Illuminati, we suspect the idea of placing the Union Jack on another hero costume will be firmly in the back of Feige’s mind. Taron is British, so why not?
Wonder Man
Curiously, Wonder Man has very nearly already been a part of the MCU, when Nathan Fillion was cast as Simon Williams for Guardians of the Galaxy 2. His scene was ultimately cut though, so technically there’s still a chance that this character will surface at some point.
Williams is initially an actor in the world of the MCU, where he actually plays Tony Stark in a movie, before later getting superpowers of his own. Taron is an actor, so why not?