Marvel has officially cast its next Wolverine for a 2026 project, as rumors swirl that Hugh Jackman could return again soon. The MCU made waves in 2024 as the Fox X-Men star reprised the adamantium-infused mutant for the first time since 2017's Logan, which concluded with his tragic demise. Deadpool & Wolverine introduced audiences to a brand-new Logan, once again played by Jackman, who failed to save his universe's X-Men and ultimately relocated to Wade Wilson's universe.
After Deadpool and Wolverine worked with the TVA in their 2024 R-rated blockbuster and finally appeared under Marvel Studios, fans became convinced that Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's heroes would be back very soon in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars. In the meantime, Marvel fans have plenty of new Logan content to look forward to, with X-Men '97 Season 2 set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026 and Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games preparing Wolverine as a PS5 exclusive for next fall.
Outside leaks resulting from a data breach at Insomniac Games that saw early development gameplay appear online, things have been quiet on the Marvel's Wolverine front since it was announced in September 2021. At least that was the case until Wolverine's first gameplay trailer was released at a September 2025 State of Play event and confirmed Insomniac Games' Logan actor.
Wolverine's "Behind the Claws" featurette confirmed that Australian actor Liam McIntyre will voice James "Logan" Howlett in the Fall 2026 PS5 game. The 43-year-old actor is best known for his leading role in Spartacus: Vengeance and for playing Weather Wizard in The CW's The Flash.
McIntyre called his new Marvel role "one of the greatest honors of [his] life," but was clearly well aware of the responsibility behind playing Wolverine:
"It's one of the greatest honors of my life, one of the biggest responsibilities I've ever had, and one of the coolest things I've ever got to do."
He went on to tease the struggles that Wolverine will endure in the game, but regardless, he "still fights for people who can't fight for themselves:"
"Fans out there know what Wolverine is, who he is. My job is to try and find the essence of who Wolverine is, especially as it applies to our story. People hurt him, take from him, and betray him, but he still fights for people who can't fight for themselves."
Creative director Marcus Smith praised McIntyre's Wolverine performance, hyping up how the team instantly agreed, "We don't need to see anybody else:"
"That level of acting and being able to just deliver that performance with believability across both spectrums was something Insomniac ourselves, we all agreed, he's the one, we don't need to see anybody else."
The Spartacus actor is just one of multiple actors who will play Wolverine next year, as voice actor Cal Dodd will also reprise the role in X-Men '97 Season 2 as one of 18 major mutants who are returning in 2026. That could even extend to three actors if Jackman appears in Avengers: Doomsday.
Casting Wolverine Is No Easy Task, Thanks to Hugh Jackman's Perfection
As the X-Men finally take center stage, Marvel looks to be putting a major push on Wolverine and other mutants in the coming years. Despite that, Wolverine is reportedly absent from the Phase 7 reboot script, indicating that fans shouldn't expect the role to be immediately recast alongside the other X-Men.
While it seems doubtful that Wolverine will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, Hugh Jackman is supposedly set to appear in Secret Wars. Fans had theorized that the iconic mutant would return in Avengers 6 before Deadpool & Wolverine became a reality, as Marvel Studios pulls together heroes from across the Multiverse.
There has even been talk that Jackman could stick around after Secret Wars due to his place as one of the hardest Marvel superheroes to recast, perhaps explaining his absence from the upcoming X-Men reboot team.
Despite being a tough character to recast in live-action, Wolverine has been played by many talented voice actors in animation, with Liam McIntyre being just the latest to join a long legacy that includes Cal Dodd, Steve Blum, and Scott McNeil.
