Throughout the build-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home, much of the discussion surrounded which classic heroes and villains would be reprising their roles. With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness right around the corner, history certainly appears to be repeating itself as fans speculate who may be joining Benedict Cumberbatch's Sorcerer for his latest adventure.
The latest trailer revealed plenty from the highly-anticipated sequel including villainous hints for Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, an appearance from Patrick Stewart's Professor X, and even a Captain Marvel Variant. But given Marvel's history of secrecy and cryptic marketing, fans are naturally assuming this is just the tip of the iceberg.
As speculation continues as to who else may appear in the Doctor Strange sequel amid reports of a Multiverse Illuminati, recent rumors have suggested Charles Xavier may not be the only Mutant hero included.
Wolverine Rumored for Doctor Strange 2
According to a recent tweet from The Illuminerdi's Joseph Deckelmeier, Wolverine will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Hugh Jackman won't be the actor to take on the role.
The Adamantium Mutant would be the second member of the X-Men to join Marvel Studios' Multiverse blockbuster with Patrick Stewart's Professor X having already been revealed in the latest trailer.
Who Else Could Play Wolverine in Doctor Strange 2?
Ever since rumors started flying of past characters returning in the Doctor Strange sequel, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has been at the top of the list for many. The Australian actor played the Mutant hero in 11 films across 17 years from X-Men (2000) to Logan (2017) and his portrayal has become synonymous with Wolverine himself.
Based on these calls and the portrayal, Marvel Studios undoubtedly asked Jackman to reprise his role, but he may have declined to return. An appearance from Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier makes it entirely plausible for Wolverine to appear alongside him, but if not Hugh Jackman then who else?
With Marvel Studios currently developing a reboot of the '90s X-Men animated series, perhaps that may be the Wolverine to appear. Both Kingsman's Taron Egerton and Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe have been among fan casts to play the next big-screen Wolverine and either could take the animated Logan to live-action.
During the second trailer for Multiverse of Madness, eagle-eyed fans caught a glimpse of what appears to be the Savage Lands. The jungle location - which is located beneath Antarctica - has been closely tied to the X-Men and Wolverine for some time, making it a plausible location for a new Variant of him to surface.
Alternatively, with Xavier expected to finally utter the fabled term "mutant" for the first time in the MCU, an all-new Wolverine could be right around the corner. If Multiverse of Madness was to finally introduce the MCU's own Mutants, then perhaps it may also mark the debut of some X-Men with new actors who would go on to lead the reboot.
Examining the possibilities, the X-Men '97 Wolverine appears to be by far the most likely candidate to appear in Multiverse of Madness. Patrick Stewart has already been rumored to play the animated Professor X instead of his original Fox version, and he may be joined by more of the team than was once thought.
Marvel Studios would naturally have to cast a live-action actor with the role with his animated voice, Cal Dodd, bearing no real resemblance to Wolverine himself. This could be an excellent opportunity to honor one of the many fan castings for the character which the studio doesn't intend to pursue in the inevitable reboot.
While many will be disappointed to hear Jackman doesn't appear to be returning to his iconic X-Men role for a Multiverse cameo, this may be the first time fans see a comic-accurate Wolverine in live-action. After all, comic readers have been eager to see the Mutant don his iconic yellow costume on the big screen for decades now.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, 2022.
