The Walking DeadactorTom Payneis down for playing the new version of Logan. Hugh Jackman turnedWolverineinto a household name, first playing the character in Bryan Singer’s 2000X-Menmovie, which helped to usher in the modern age of comic book movies as we know it. However,Loganmarked the end of his tenure as the beloved mutant, and that means at some undetermined point in the future, another actor will be taking on the role. Given the chance, Payne says he’s in.
Tom Payne is best known for playingJesus, aka Paul Rovia on AMC’sThe Walking Deadand has been a part of the cast since 2016. While he hasn’t broken out as a big movie star yet, being on one of the biggest shows on TV should help open some of those doors in the future. In a recent interview, he expressed interest in one of those doors being an opening into theX-Menuniverse as the new Wolverine. He also pointed out that, even though Hugh Jackman did a tremendous job over the years, his own physical stature may suit a more comics-accurate version of the character. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“Wolverine is actually like 5'1″, or 5'2″ or something. And Hugh, he was brilliant, but he was much, much, much bigger. If they did recast the Wolverine part, I’d be well up for it.”
Indeed, those who want to see something closer to the version of Wolverine from the comics might see something in what Tom Payne is saying. Marvel officially says that Wolverine stands at 5'3" and Hugh Jackman was 6'1". So, even though he interpreted the character beautifully for nearly two decades in the eyes of most fans, he never really looked exactly like the character would appear in the pages of theX-Mencomics. That actually is whyBob Hoskins was originally wantedfor the role of Wolverine before Jackman ever landed the part.
With all of that in mind, Tom Payne stands at 5'7" and, even aside from height, definitely has the rugged look needed for Wolverine. The question is, could he really pull it off? That remains to be seen, but many have suggested Tom Hardy for the part, but he’s currently playingVenom.There’s also Scott Eastwood, who expressed interest. As of yet, the studios haven’t really discussed anyone for the new Wolverine, as far as we know, and there are a few reasons for that.
For one, they’re going to want to give us some space afterLogan, out of respect for Hugh Jackman. Not only that, but the pending Disney/Fox deal could be a major factor. Disney’s purchase still needs to be approved by regulating bodies, but if that does come to pass, theX-MenandFantastic Fourwill once again be in control of Marvel Studios. At that time, Kevin Feige and Co. could look to cast who they want in the role. Will that be Tom Payne? He’ll be waiting by the phone for that call. This news comes to us courtesy ofTV Guide.
