Channing Tatum Movies: Will '22 Jump Street' Actor Replace Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine? James McAvoy Doesn't Think So
Is Hugh Jackman's Wolverine going to die? Perhaps not, but Jackman wants Channing Tatum to replace him as the new Wolverine.
Jackman, 45, has played Wolverine in seven films, including the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past, out May 23. Tatum, 33, has done some action films including White House Down and the G.I. Joe films. In other words, Tatum has the pedigree to perhaps take Wolverine to the next level. Some are in agreement with Tatum, but others wonder how will it affect the Wolverine franchise.
Speaking at a press conference for X-Men: Days of Future Past, Jackman expressed that he thinks Tatum could be a good replacement. Jackman acknowledged that a recasting of the character is "inevitable," Comic Book Resources reported.
Jackman also revealed that he knew there was an "expiry date on his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise," MoviePilot reported. "I'm not 100 percent sure when that is," Jackman said, but he also acknowledged that the decision is up to Fox, not him.
Jackman's X-Men: Days of Future Past co-star James McAvoy, on the other hand, thinks that Jackman is irreplaceable.
"Nobody could step into your shoes," McAvoy said, "They've got to retire the character when you finish. When you're done with it, they retire the character."
"Once you [McAvoy] get the offer in about five years, you will go, and then you will say 'My God, he was right,'" Jackman joked.
Jackman, however, would prefer that McAvoy not take the offer for the sake of their friendship.
But before anyone throws away the adamantium claws, Jackman is still holding on to Wolverine. According to UPI, he is "enjoying playing Wolverine more than ever, but is unsure if he can do the next Wolverine film or not.
"I am really proud of [The Wolverine], and I am excited to develop something with Jim Mangold," Jackman said, "But I have very high expectations of what a third film would need to be, and who we could reach, and if not I wouldn't be doing it."
Jackman expressed how he and Mangold, The Wolverine director, discussed ideas for the next film on the phone, adding that there is no script and no writer yet, so they are way off.
Tatum has not responded to the Wolverine press. For now, Tatum will be promoting the upcoming 22 Jump Street film. Jackman is also currently filming Chappie, set for release in 2015.
This is not the first time that Tatum's name has been mentioned within the context of the X-Men. The X-Men franchise's long-standing producer Lauren Schuler Donner recently stated, "I'm dying to do a Gambit film with Tatum," and the actor has expressed interest in playing Gambit.