Keanu Reeves has long been a fan-favorite casting when it comes to picking up the claws set down by Hugh Jackman after more than a decade of playing the mutant Wolverine. During an interview with SiriusXM, Reeves admitted he would have loved to have taken on the role, but feels it is now too late:
“Keanu Reeves: For me, I always wanted to play Wolverine. It is too late. It was filled really well. I’m all good with it now.”
Despite the popular internet myth that he is immortal, Reeves is actually 55 years old, which is 23 years older than when Jackman made his debut as the clawed superhero in the original X-Men. Taking on a role as physically arduous as Wolverine at this point in his career would be very different from kicking butt as Neo in the original Matrix films in the 1990s.
Besides, Reeves has already made another merciless ass-kicker role his own in recent times, in the shape of the ultimate assassin John Wick, where he does not have to share the spotlight with other members of a team. Aside from the action franchise, Reeves’ career is going better than ever, with many varied projects in the works, from the upcoming Bill and Ted Face the Music, to The Matrix 4.
The question of who will be the next Wolverine is one that has been plaguing the comics fandom ever since Jackman stepped away from the role. While some are still hoping the actor will change his mind, and make one last cameo as Logan in a Deadpool movie, other fans have moved on, and are busy fan-casting actors as Wolverine for his planned debut in the MCU in the coming years along with the rest of the X-Men.
Apart from Reeves, Game of Thrones alum Kit Harrington was also a hot favorite for the role of the clawed anti-hero, seeing as he had perfected the look of the hairy, brooding outsider with killer moves. But then Harrington was cast in the upcoming The Eternals, in the role of Dane Whitman aka Black Knight.
Another actor many fans want to see play Logan is Jon Bernthal, Netflix’s Punisher, and fan-drawings of Bernthal as Logan are sprinkled throughout the Marvel fandom. On his part, Bernthal would prefer to continue playing Frank Castle aka Punisher, and that might well turn out to be the case if the rumors turn out to be true that the MCU will see actors from Netflix’s The Defenders reprise their roles as Marvel superheroes on the big screen.
In the meantime, even if he cannot be Wolverine, Reeves is excited to share his latest film with fans, Bill and Ted Face the Music. Stepping out of the action genre, the film is set to be a good-natured follow up to the original two Bill and Ted movies that were made close to three decades ago. The film arrives in theaters and on premium video on demand Aug. 28.
Fabulous art above by pabloruizzx.