Zac Efron was among a generation of actors who found their first touch of fame at Disney, with his role as Troy Bolton in High School Musical having kickstarted his career. Nowadays, the American actor is starring in more mature projects such as Stephen King's Firestarter and Hugh Jackman's popular musical The Greatest Showman.
Over the years, Efron has proven to be a popular fan cast for a number of Marvel and DC roles, including Adam Warlock, Human Torch, and Nova. The Disney star was reportedly even Marvel Studios' template when casting Adam Warlock for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a role which eventually went to Will Poulter.
As Marvel Studios continues to up its casting game as the universe expands with the introduction of teams such as the Eternals, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, Zac Efron has thrown his hat in the ring for a superhero role.
Zac Efron Wants to Join the MCU
During a recent interview with Extra TV, Zac Efron shared his interest in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he promoted his upcoming movie Firestarter.
After being asked about his interest in playing a Marvel superhero amid fans casting him in the MCU, the High School Musical star responded with strong intrigue, saying that "if the right character comes along" then he would be ready to "jump at the opportunity:"
"I love the Marvel universe. I've been a fan of Marvel since I started walking. If the right character comes along, and they want me to jump in, I would jump at the opportunity."
Who Could Zac Efron Play in the MCU?
Zac Efron has been a favorite to join the MCU for many years now, and it appears he's just as enthusiastic to play a Marvel hero as fans are to see him in the franchise. Given his stardom and history of working with Disney, it's surprising he hasn't played a superhero yet, but his time may be coming soon.
When Marvel Studios was casting an actor to play Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, reports indicated they were searching for a Zac Efron-type, something they found in Will Poulter. Despite serving as the inspiration for the heroic casting, it's unclear whether Efron himself was ever approached for the role before eventually landing on Poulter.
Moving forward, there are plenty of heroes expected to join the MCU in the near future who Zac Efron would be a fitting choice to bring to life. For many years, the Disney star had been a popular fan cast for Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch, in Fantastic Four, but at 32 years old, he could potentially be a touch too old for that part.
Heroes such as Richard Rider's Nova and the X-Men's Cyclops may now be more appropriate for Efron. Given his usual facial hair, acting ability, and muscular stature, perhaps the actor could even offer a new take on Wolverine in the MCU, one which would be drastically different from Hugh Jackman. Granted, the competition for the MCU's Wolverine is stiff with both Daniel Radcliffe and Taron Egerton having thrown their hats in the ring for the role.
Zac Efron will next be seen on screens in the sci-fi horror Firestarter, which hits theaters on May 13.
