Only three actors have played Wolverine in the character’s live-action history. Since his debut in Marvel Comics in 1974’s The Incredible Hulk #180, Wolverine has become one of Marvel’s most recognizable and beloved heroes. The character’s exploration of antihero themes, the prominence of mental health issues and psychological trauma in his stories, and his rebellious nature have made him one of the most significant characters in Marvel’s history. This made him a clear candidate to be adapted for 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, and his recent MCU debut has been hugely popular.
Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Wolverine’s live-action history has been lengthy and varied, with the character having appeared in a total of ten feature films since his debut in 2000’s X-Men. Throughout his 24-year live-action career, Wolverine has been played primarily by one actor, but two more stars have made brief appearances as the clawed mutant, and Marvel Studios is expected to recast Wolverine for his official MCU debut. While more iterations of Wolverine may be on the way, the three previous portrayals of the iconic Marvel antihero have certainly made their mark.
Troye Sivan’s James Howlett Discovered His Powers
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Marked Troye Sivan’s Feature Film Debut
The opening moments of 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine introduced Troye Sivan as a young James Howlett in 1845. Australian singer-songwriter and actor Sivan was cast as Howlett after he was seen singing at the Channel Seven Perth Telethon, while Kodi Smit-McPhee – who went on to play Nightcrawler in Fox’s revised X-Men timeline – had originally been cast in the role. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was Troye Sivan’s feature film debut, and established him as the second actor to portray Wolverine, providing him with a pivotal scene in the mutant’s backstory.
| Troye Sivan’s Notable Projects | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine | James Howlett | 2009 |
| Spud | John “Spud” Milton | 2010 |
| Boy Erased | Gary | 2018 |
Troye Sivan’s performance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine explored the emergence of James Howlett’s mutant abilities. As a child, Howlett had been perennially ill, but after witnessing his father be killed by the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan, his mutation emerged. This gave him a regenerative healing factor that fought his illness, and also saw him grow three skeletal claws on each hand, which he used to slay Thomas Logan, who soon revealed he was actually James’ birth father. Sivan never played Wolverine again, but delivered a solid performance as the young mutant.
Henry Cavill’s Wolverine Cameo Likely Won’t Lead Anywhere
Henry Cavill Portrayed A Wolverine Variant In Deadpool & Wolverine
Henry Cavill established himself as a coveted name in superhero media after debuting as Clark Kent’s Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, and the variety of roles he’s taken on since then made him a popular fan-cast for the role of Wolverine. This spurred unsubstantiated rumors that Cavill would appear as a version of Wolverine in The Marvels, and he was again rumored to be involved with Marvel Studios early in 2024. Deadpool & Wolverine made these dreams a reality, as Henry Cavill made a brief appearance as a variant of Wolverine during the Phase 5 movie.
| Henry Cavill’s Notable Projects | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Man of Steel | Clark Kent’s Superman | 2013 |
| Mission: Impossible – Fallout | August Walker | 2018 |
| Argylle | Agent Aubrey Argylle | 2024 |
Henry Cavill’s Wolverine, dubbed the “Cavillrine,” appeared during a montage that saw Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool journey across the multiverse on the hunt for a Wolverine to replace the missing Anchor Being from Earth-10005. Cavill delivers his iconic arm choreography as Wolverine before thrusting Deadpool through a time door, but not before Deadpool can make a quip about Henry Cavill’s previous treatment at DC. It’s unlikely Cavill will be revealed to be the MCU’s official Wolverine, but it was great to see this brilliant fan-casting realized in live-action.
Hugh Jackman Has Become Synonymous With Wolverine
Hugh Jackman Has Played Wolverine In Ten Live-Action Movies
While Troye Sivan and Henry Cavill have delivered brilliant portrayals of Wolverine, the character’s most prominent actor has been Hugh Jackman. 2000’s X-Men was Jackman’s breakthrough movie, introducing the young Australian actor to the world of Hollywood and superheroes. Since then, Jackman has portrayed Wolverine in all ten of the hero’s live-action projects, and has become completely synonymous with the role, making it difficult to imagine anybody else taking over as Wolverine in the MCU’s future.
