We’ve had time to come to grips with the sad reality that Hugh Jackman will soon vacate the iconic role of Wolverine. He’s been playing the character for a very long time – 17 years, by the time the third and final solo Wolvie film is released next year. So, even though we know he’s leaving, we still really can’t imagine anyone else filling his shoes. Anyone who tries is going to deal with a lot of cynicism from the fans.
But one brave soul is stepping up to the plate, and he’s played a comic book character before. Jonathon Schaech, who played Jonah Hex on the DC series Legends of Tomorrow, was asked yesterday during his panel at the Heroes and Villains Fan Fest who would be his dream character to portray.
"If I could play any character, it'd be Wolverine. I feel like he's why I wanted to start acting" @JohnSchaech #HVFF pic.twitter.com/hm06wKE2wY
— Fan Fest Events (@fanfestevents) August 27, 2016
Playing a character in both DC and Marvel isn’t unheard of. Ryan Reynolds, of course, starred in the disastrous Green Lantern film, before redeeming himself as the absolutely hands-down perfect (let’s be real here, the ONLY) choice to play Deadpool. Then there’s the previous Jonah Hex (also bad), Josh Brolin, who is currently sitting at the top of the Marvel villain heap as Thanos. So the fact that Schaech has played a DC character in the past is not only not a deterrent, it actually bodes well for him having an even better presence as a Marvel character.
A young Schaech was actually a pretty big star in the late 90’s, with films such as The Doom Generation, That Thing You Do, and Poison Ivy, as well as a slew of TV work. He’s a talented guy who has paid his dues in Hollywood, and worked steadily for more than 20 years.
But will Fox be interested? That’s the million dollar question. They have several options going forward: they can recast; they can shift Wolverine off the canvas for a while, and focus on other X-Men deserving of some screen time; or they can make a bold move and kill him off. While it might seem like madness to kill their most popular character, a lot of fans would see it as a gesture of loyalty to Jackman, winning them favor with the movie-going public.
What do you think is the right choice for the iconic character? And if you’ve seen any of his work, what do think of the idea of Schaech in the role? Let us know below!