It goes without saying that Wolverine is one of the most popular Marvel Comics - and indeed comic book - characters of all time. He's a part of the X-Men, which are no doubt among the most popular entities in comic books too, but just as the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have done over on the DC side with the Justice League, he has transcended the team, the genre, and the company to become one of the most instantly-recognizable faces in pop-culture history.
There have been many variations of the claw-wielding mutant - both in the comics and on television - but it is undeniable that the most famous version of the character is Hugh Jackman's portrayal in the Fox X-Men movies. It all began in 2000's X-Men and ran straight through to 2017's Logan, in which Jackman officially retired the character. That is until he made his long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as a variant of Logan in 2024's juggernaut Deadpool and Wolverine.
Wolverine will now return to screens in a very different project next year, undoubtedly raising his pop-culture profile even further. But don't be expecting Jackman or even any of the other actors associated with the role to be bringing him to life this time around as Marvel has started from scratch for this one, casting a completely new actor in the role.
Marvel opts against casting a familiar Logan in long-awaited Wolverine game, starting afresh with a brand new actor
One of the most long-awaited projects on the Marvel calendar has been Insomniac's Wolverine video game. The project has been in the works for some time now and, at long last, Insomniac, Marvel Games, and PlayStation unveiled the first look at the game in years, gifting us with a brand new gameplay trailer and the confirmation that a new actor will be voicing the beloved character.
That actor is none other than Liam McIntyre, who is best-known for his role in Spartacus and for voicing various iconic characters in Star Wars projects. He's also no stranger to the superhero genre, having played Marc Mardon, a.k.a. Weather Wizard, in five episodes of The CW's legendary series The Flash. Needless to say, we're excited to see his take on Wolverine, and you can get a glimpse of it in the new trailer.
Although fans weren't particularly expecting Jackman to voice the character given that he's now the current MCU version of Wolverine, he's so synonymous with the hero that it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the role. That said, there was also some speculation that the other most famous Wolvie of them all, Cal Dodd (who voices the legendary Marvel character in X-Men: The Animated Series and sequel series X-Men '97), might be in the running. But Marvel Games has chosen to recast altogether, giving us a brand new portrayal of the character.
Excitement is at an all-time high for Marvel's Wolverine, which looks to be staying true to the nature of the character as its new trailer promises a bloody, vicious time. Those who have watched Logan's stories play out in Marvel Comics over the years have come to expect those kinds of adventures for the legendary X-Men character and it's clear that they will get it here.
Perhaps the biggest selling-point is that this game comes after Insomniac's critically-acclaimed work on superhero games Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. When rumors of a Wolverine game first made their way around the internet, reception to the idea was positive, and when it was confirmed, fans were ecstatic.
The wait that came after that confirmation may have been long, but it's definitely shaping up to have been worth it.
Hugh Jackman will continue to play Wolverine in the MCU (for now)
Although Marvel has started with a clean slate for the Wolverine video game, Hugh Jackman is expected to continue playing him in the MCU for now. Having made his triumphant return in the $1.3 billion-grossing Deadpool and Wolverine in 2024, it's clear that there is still a love and demand to see the legendary actor play the beloved mutant. Although there are no immediate plans for his return (that have been confirmed in an official capacity, at least), there are a number of places in which he could appear in the coming years.
With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars set for release in 2026 and 2027 respectively, the culmination of the ongoing Multiverse Saga arc is taking center stage in the years and months ahead for the MCU. It would be only fitting if Logan were to make an appearance in at least one of them (and he has been rumored to appear multiple times). Although Marvel Studios confirmed the cast list for the first of those two movies (and there is no official reason to believe that Jackman is a part of the main cast), that doesn't rule out some kind of cameo appearance, especially as the vast majority of the X-Men cast are reprising their roles.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios is currently planning an X-Men movie set for release in 2028 or after, which is set to introduce the MCU's official version of the Mighty Mutants. Rumors say that Wolverine will not be a part of the movie as the franchise will eventually have Jackman's veteran Logan mentor the younger X-Men characters (who will be recast from their Fox iterations).
With all of that in mind, there are places for Wolverine to appear in the future of the MCU. It's simply a matter of when. But the good news is that, while we wait, we can enjoy Cal Dodd's performance in X-Men '97 season 2 and Liam McIntyre's in Marvel's Wolverine. Yep, it's a good time to be a fan of Logan.
Marvel's Wolverine is released in fall or winter 2026.