OPINION: Who could take over the Wolverine Role?

Currently in the final stages of pre-production is James Mangold’s Wolverine 3, which looks to be based off the beloved “Old Man Logan” storyline. Following the success of Deadpool, it looks like this film will also be given an R rating, which should make for a gritty and epic final installment in Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine career. However this also begs the question, who is next in line for the Adamantium claws?

Hugh has been playing Wolverine for close to 20 years now, which leaves very big shoes to fill for any actor who is next in line for the role. It also begs the question whether or not Fox will cast a veteran actor who is guaranteed to own the role, or take a chance on an up and comer like they did with Jackman in the first place. There are a million lists like this one, so I decided to choose some less obvious choices for the role than maybe someone like Liam Hemsworth or Tom Hardy.

Scott Eastwood

Scott as you might have guessed is the son of Hollywood royalty Clint Eastwood. His father is a brilliant actor and he is currently in the process of trying to prove himself one too. He’s been fine in most of the films he’s been in, however I feel he has real talent and he’s just waiting for the right role to come along and let him showcase it. There are rumors of him playing an undercover Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing) in Suicide Squad, however I think someone like him is much better suited for Wolverine.

He already has the appearance for it, with his fathers signature grizzled face and rugged looks. Even in small roles, like in Fury, Scott was able to have a real screen presence just in the subtleties of his performance. Under the right director (Clint Eastwood, maybe?), he’d be able to pull off a very convincing and unique Wolverine.

Scoot McNairy

While you might not recognize his name or even his face, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen one or more of the films Scoot McNairy has starred in. From Oscar caliber dramas like Argo or 12 Years a Slave to blockbusters such as Gone Girl and the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Perhaps the most unconventional of the actors in this list, I think he’d be able to do something very interesting as Wolverine.

He’s a tremendously underrated actor who is only just beginning to take some leading roles in films and headlining a franchise like X-Men as Wolverine would be very worthy of his talent. While he might not be the physique you’d associate with Wolverine, that’s nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a few months of training.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson has had a tenuous relationship at best with Hollywood in the last few years, to put it lightly. However I feel like Gibson has paid his dues and is ready to come back to the spotlight. His directorial efforts with Braveheat and more recently Apocalypto are nothing short of amazing and even in very forgettable and quite frankly bad films like Expentables 3, he still manages to give a very powerful performance.

Gibson has incredible dramatic acting talent, showcased in Braveheart, The Patriot and many more but he also has some comedic chops, which are highlighted in the Lethal Weapon franchise. While you might not think that’s all that relevant to Wolverine, some of that characters greatest moments have been comic relief (X-Men: First Class, anyone?). Not to mention already having played a gruff, damaged action movie icon before in the first three Mad Max films.

Andrew Lincoln

Most people would recognize Lincoln from his leading role on the hit TV show The Walking Dead where he plays Rick Grimes, the grizzled and often reluctant leader of a group of survivors during the zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately his commitment to that show has prevented him from starring in anything since it’s inception in 2010. However with the popularity of that show slowly dying, it might be wise for Lincoln to consider branching out.

Even though the bulk of his resume is just The Walking Dead, the 7 season run of that show has allowed him to showcase a wide variety of emotions and acting range. That aside though, his performance is very physical, even in the way he carries himself you can tell a lot about his character and his past. This is a pretty rare talent and would be instrumental for someone like Wolverine, who is more the strong and silent type than someone who expresses themselves entirely through dialogue.

Aaron Paul

Following the success of Breaking Bad, it’s surprising that we haven’t seen Paul take the spotlight in more feature films or TV shows. He’s had some bad luck in critical and commercial flops like Need for Speed and Exodus: Gods and Kings, however he can hardly be held responsible for the failure of either one of those films.

It would be tough for people to get past the Jesse Pinkman persona that he is so well known for, but I think he is definitely a good enough actor to separate that from the Wolverine character. While he is younger than most people might expect from the Wolverine, he brought a very mature darkness and pain to his Breaking Bad character which I think is integral to the Wolverine character, much more so than his age.

What do you guys think? Who do you think should play Wolverine? Email us at paperclipnews@gmail.com