The Best Way To Make A Post-Hugh Jackman Wolverine Work In The MCU Has Already Been Proven

While recent Marvel Studios projects like "Deadpool and Wolverine" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" have featured the return of mutants from the 20th Century Fox "X-Men" timeline, the writing is on the wall that a proper MCU-original version of these characters is on the horizon. The "Ms. Marvel" finale hinted at it with a certain classic Marvel theme song, adamantium was a plot point in "Captain America: Brave New World," and "Thunderbolts*" director Jake Schreier is officially helming a forthcoming X-Men reboot.

And while there are a lot of new and exciting things an MCU X-Men reboot can do, there's one looming dilemma — we'll have to get a live-action Wolverine not played by Hugh Jackman. Sooner or later, this is going to happen, and it'll be an immensely tricky proposition given how much Jackman's Wolverine has utterly dominated the very concept of live-action X-Men storytelling. However, that doesn't mean a rebooted Wolverine is doomed to failure. On the contrary, an ingenious model for how to deliver an unexpected and novel take on this character is already out there.

Said model originates in an animated TV show that hit the airwaves at the dawn of the 21st century, and while "X-Men: Evolution" might not be the most famous X-Men program, the show's unique take on Wolverine could be a great guiding star for the MCU.

The MCU versions of the X-Men have already been taking serious cues from animated incarnations of these mutants. The yellow hoverchair Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) rolled out in during "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" makes it clear how the 1990s "X-Men: The Animated Series" and its best moments are clearly influencing this new live-action age of X-Men media. But it's the "X-Men: Evolution" vision of Logan where the MCU should take its cues. 

In this program, Wolverine (Scott McNeill) is firmly no longer the loner who couldn't possibly imagine working with others — he's already worked on himself for years, and while he's got a lot of sharp edge, he's not storming out of the mansion in a huff. Instead, he's settled comfortably into a mentor role for younger mutants at Xavier's school. Though his stern demeanor hasn't wavered, certain characters in this show like X-23, Rogue, and Kitty Pryde pull out his protective "big brother" instincts pretty easily. 

Throughout the show, audiences still get to see Wolverine tear through bad guys and be enjoyably aloof, but such qualities service his new job as a molder of mutantkind's future. And when we imagine this sort of Wolverine in the MCU, it paints a picture of how the reboot can tell new stories with Logan instead of just repeating all of Hugh Jackman's greatest hits.

Long before its current cultural reputation, "X-Men: Evolution" debuted to skepticism from long-time X-Men fans for reimagining familiar mutants as angsty teenagers (among other gripes). However, the program eventually overcame that rocky first impression thanks to the artistry of the best "X-Men: Evolution" episodes. These installments shined a spotlight on mutants that audiences might not have been immediately familiar with, like Dani Moonstar or Avalanche. And its take on Wolverine went from getting a big initial "huh?" to now being a fan-favorite depiction. 

Today, many fans consider the "Evolution" version of Wolverine to be one of the best non-comics iterations, because of how the series stayed true to Logan's central personality traits while also highlighting his wisdom and age over his short temper. This is a Wolverine that kids at Xavier's school would look up to, even if he makes them nervous. Back when the show came out, the idea of Logan as a teacher seemed bizarre, but his depiction in "Evolution" was so successful that the idea was incorporated into the comics, with him at one point even rebuilding and relaunching the school as headmaster.  

Today's controversial "insult" to the fans is tomorrow's warmly received pop culture icon, and the way audiences came around to "Evolution" should be reassuring to the creative team behind the MCU's incarnation of the X-Men. It also indicates that radical new takes on Wolverine can gain momentum over time.

What was Hugh Jackman's Wolverine? He was a guy defined by his damage. One of his earliest lines in 2000's "X-Men," in which he remarks "every time" when asked if it hurts when he unveils his adamantium-laced claws, established that torment drove this particular superhero above all else. That was one of many qualities that he shared with the Wolverine from "X-Men: The Animated Series," along with his love triangle shenanigans involving Jean Grey. 

One thing this Wolverine wasn't, though, was a crotchety uncle to younger mutants. He resisted this at every turn, with the only exceptions being Rogue, X-23, and to some extent Iceman. Throughout Jackman's tenure, though, the "loner" side of the character was deeply emphasized. This ensured that the various Hugh Jackman turns as Wolverine could sometimes blur together, but going forward, moving away from this focus — much like "X-Men: Evolution" moved away from the 1990s cartoon's loner depiction of its Logan — means there's plenty of new material an MCU Wolverine could explore.

Writing Wolverine in a way modeled after his "Evolution" iteration, where he's a gruff educator, would automatically inspire countless new storytelling possibilities for the character. The new movie could focus on his dynamic with new MCU characters like Kitty, Jubilee, or other young students he (still gruffly) takes under his wing. It's time for Wolverine to reach his paternal teacher era and, in the process, unlock possibilities for this hero beyond Hugh Jackman.

Even though Hugh Jackman himself supported recasting Wolverine as early as 2017, the X-Men movies have refused to move on from him. In the 25+ years since Jackman was cast as Wolverine, three different actors have portrayed both Spider-Man and Batman in live-action movies. While the most famous superheroes on the planet have survived recasting, Jackman was brought back to play Wolverine in 2024's "Deadpool and Wolverine." That film featured a moment where Deadpool declared that Disney was insistent Jackman would keep playing this role "until he's 90," a prospect that doesn't sound unrealistic at this point.

The MCU's X-Men needs to emphasize a new actor as Wolverine. That's another element that "X-Men: Evolution" already provided a blueprint for. For "Evolution," Scott McNeill took over voicing Wolverine from Cal Dodd for "X-Men: The Animated Series." Back then, this was a bigger deal than it sounds like today: At the time, Dodd's voice was the Wolverine voice. However, a new show and fresh vision of Wolverine required a different take, and viewers came to embrace McNeill's performance, too. The world kept on spinning and "X-Men: Evolution" ran for multiple seasons despite featuring a new Wolverine actor. 

So, a precedent has already been set for Wolverine recasting being not only possible but transpiring with minimal drama. It's time for Marvel Studios to get comfortable with the idea that both "Evolution" already did decades ago and Jackman's long been cozy with.

The history of superhero media is rife with surprises. Nobody could've expected "Guardians of the Galaxy" would become a massive hit. Superhero movie cameos that were kept under wraps, meanwhile, caught audiences across the globe in total delighted shock. And in real-life, it was a big surprise back in the early 1990s when "X-Men: The Animated Series" was a hit, given how every network doubted the commercial viability of the show. The same proved true for "X-Men: Evolution," which managed to carve its own identity in the midst of its lofty predecessor and the big screen entries hitting theaters at the same time. 

If there's anything the MCU's take on Wolverine should glean from "X-Men: Evolution" — arguably even more than how fun it is to see Logan as a teacher — it's that. Viewers have been entranced by unusual iterations of this mutant, whether it's his teacher role in "Evolution" or his grizzled, dying incarnation in "Logan" — because while there certainly is a core element to his character, subverting it in deeply specific ways reminds audiences how much they love him. 

"X-Men: Evolution" didn't just offer what TV viewers had already seen of the character in "X-Men: The Animated Series," and it was all the better for it. Now, the MCU X-Men reboot should follow that lesson as it gets ready to relaunch the adamantium-clawed Canadian for a new generation.