Zac Efron responds to rumours he’s Hugh Jackman's Wolverine replacement

Zac Efron has responded to rumours that he could be in the running to take over from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for future MCU films.

By now, fans will be well aware that we haven't seen the last of Hugh Jackman as the X-Men legend, with his character set to return in Deadpool 3.

But rumour has it that the powers that be at Marvel are already planning ahead for the future of Wolverine - and Zac Efron is apparently among the top contenders.

Throughout Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there have been hints to the existence of mutants, from Professor Xavier appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, to Kamala Khan learning that she has a mutation in her blood in Ms Marvel. So, it's no secret that the minds behind the MCU are looking to introduce the X-Men in future projects.

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Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Zac addressed the rumours that team Marvel were looking for a 'Zac Efron type' to play Wolverine in upcoming Marvel films.

While the former Disney star didn't officially confirm or deny whether the rumours were true, Zac hinted that he might be interested in taking on the project.

"Wow, they could just call me", he joked. "I think Hugh's still doing that pretty well. I've got to give it to him."

Jimmy went on to point out that Zac could probably get a good word in with Hugh, since the pair previously starred alongside each other in The Greatest Showman.

"Yeah, I guess I had my foot in the door on that one. I should go talk to him", Zac said.

Up until recently, fans thought they had seen the last of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, after he was definitively killed in Logan (2017).

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That's why we were so shocked when Ryan Reynolds announced last week that Hugh would be returning to the role one more time to team up with Deadpool - something that both Ryan and Hugh had been teasing for years.

But, with films like Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: No Way Home exploring the multiverse, it's possible that a new variant of Wolverine and the other X-Men could appear in future projects.

Even if Zac was in talks to take over the role, there's no way we would know about it yet, thanks to Marvel's policy for keeping all future projects top secret.

Other favourites to take over the role of Wolverine have included Taron Egerton, Daniel Radcliffe and The Boys star Karl Urban.

Until we find out more, you can get your next Wolverine fix on 6 September 2024, when Deadpool 3 opens in cinemas.

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