MCU: Taron Egerton Sets the Record Straight on Wolverine Rumors

Taron Egerton commented on persisting Wolverine rumors in the MCU fandom.

By Russ Milheim Updated:
Wolverine, Marvel Studios, Avengers, Taron Egerton

Ms. Marvel’s finale led to one of the biggest reveals in recent MCU media: Kamala Khan is the first mutant to be revealed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A big moment like that stoked the fires of fan conversations regarding when a group like the X-Men could really show up. One of the team’s most famous members, Wolverine, is who audiences are itching to see on screen sooner rather than later.

Recently, actor Taron Egerton has been consistently brought up in regards to who should bring the angry Canadian to life for the MCU. The actor has said how “it would be exciting to tackle the iconic part and that he’d be honored.

Recent comments from Egerton seemed to also confirm he has met with Marvel in the past about the role. But it seems that those were misinterpreted, as the actor has now come out to set the record straight.

Taron Egerton Comments on Wolverine Rumors

Taron Egerton Wolverine
Marvel

In an interview with Sway’s Universe, Taron Egerton set the record straight about the rumors that he had had a conversation with Marvel Studios about playing Wolverine in the MCU.

The actor admitted that his comments about having “a general meeting at Marvel around four years ago… got kind of spun and twisted into this thing:”

“I made the mistake of saying that I had had a general meeting at Marvel around four years ago, which is true. But it got kind of spun and twisted into this thing… So I’m now at a point where… ’Cause look, I’ve always said… I don’t know if I’m the right guy to play that part. I was with Hugh [Jackman] yesterday, briefly, who obviously played the role originally. We’re such different vibes. I don’t know if I would be the right person to follow him. But I’ve always said I would be open to it. But at the moment, there’s no truth, other than the fan-casting thing, which goes kind of crazy every time I mention it. But, you know, who knows.”

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Egerton elaborated on his exchange with Marvel, noting how “there was a character that [he] mentioned in that meeting, but it wasn’t [Wolverine]:”

“So the reality is that… there’s been a lot of fan-casting for it. And I took a general meeting with [Marvel Studios President] Kevin [Feige] about four years ago where I said it would be… ‘I love the movies. I would love to do something.’ And he said, ‘It would be great if we could find something.’ I walked away and haven’t spoken to him since. I check my emails every five minutes. But there’s no… there was never– in fact, there was a character that I mentioned in that meeting, but it wasn’t that one. So that puts it into some perspective. So there’s no truth, no reality to it. But you know, I’d love to be a part– I’m a fan of those movies.”

When asked if he’s ever talked to Hugh Jackman about it, the actor who has portrayed the character for over a decade, Egerton revealed that he hasn’t said anything to him, but “if there was truth to [the rumors], [he] would talk to him about it:"

“No, because I’m worried… I saw Hugh yesterday, actually. But I’m worried that if I mention it, that he’ll think like… I don’t know. I don’t know! It’s his role… there’s no truth to it. So, if there was truth to it, I would talk to him about it, clearly. But there’s no truth to it, so there’s no conversation. So I’ve never felt the need to mention it to him.”

Horowitz recalled talking to Avengers: Endgame’s Joe Russo, where the director made it clear how he felt that “Taron is truly an actor who should be playing Wolverine:”

“I love Taron. I think Taron is immensely talented. He’s an incredible actor. If you saw his portrayal of Elton John, you know… He has incredible range, and his charisma on screen is fantastic. Somebody asked us a couple of weeks ago… during early press for Gray Man, ‘If you could pick Chris Evans for one part, what would it be?’ And we joked and said, ‘Wolverine,’ ’cause we knew it’d be controversial. But Taron is truly an actor who should be playing Wolverine. He truly should be. He’s excellent.”

Upon hearing this relayed from Horowitz, Egerton joked that “Joe is gonna get a nice gift in the mail:”

“Wow. Joe is gonna get a nice gift in the mail… Joe’s lovely and has always been very, very supportive of me. And actually, we had an amazing weekend at Cannes celebrating Rocketman. And I spent about 75% of those three days getting very, very drunk with Joe Russo… I don’t know his brother so well, actually, but Joe and I have gotten a lovely friendship and have tried to get a couple of things that haven’t quite worked out. But he’s amazing. And that’s so, so lovely. That’s really lovely.

When Will Wolverine Arrive in the MCU?

Taron Egerton is far from the only actor to have their name out there associated with the role of Wolverine. The Boys’ Anthony Starr and Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe have both been hyped up as popular fan casts.

A recent report indicated that it might be a while before fans see a new Wolverine on the scene. According to a new rumor, Marvel may be contractually restricted from casting any new versions of the X-Men until 2025—which may help explain why they still haven’t made it on screen yet.

This could mean it might not be until Phase 7 or the next big MCU Saga in general when audiences get to see a new adaptation of everyone’s favorite X-Men. The closest the world may get before that is the upcoming animated X-Men ‘97 show.

X-Men ‘97 is expected to hit Disney+ at some point in 2023.

- About The Author: Russ Milheim
Russ Milheim is the Industry Relations Coordinator at The Direct. On top of utilizing his expertise on the many corners of today’s entertainment to cover the latest news and theories, he establishes and maintains communication and relations between the outlet and the many studio and talent representatives.