'The Rings of Power' Star Robert Aramayo Just Gave the Most Intriguing Answer Yet to the MCU's Wolverine Question

Casting the next Wolverine is one of the biggest puzzles facing the MCU, and Robert Aramayo is the latest name to land in the middle of the debate. Hugh Jackman held the claws for a 24-year run, and his turn in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ earned $1.3 billion worldwide. That makes the role about as tough an act to follow as any in superhero cinema.

The speculation has only intensified as Marvel builds out its mutant plans. Reports said ‘The Bear’ star Jeremy Allen White met with Marvel Studios about taking over from Jackman, and Karl Urban has reportedly refused to follow in Jackman’s footsteps. Meanwhile, Jackman himself gave a noncommittal answer about appearing in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, and Marvel has not listed him on the official cast.

Into that mix walks Aramayo, who was asked about the idea during a rooftop interview with Variety. The interviewer pitched that Marvel should keep his number for the day Jackman hangs up the claws, pointing to the actor’s grown-out hair and saying they could see it. Aramayo told Variety he couldn’t even imagine it, then added, “You’re not the first person who’s said it, though.”

Aramayo didn’t shut the door, but he was quick to show respect for his predecessor. He said the idea of it happening would be terrifying and that he loves what Jackman has done with the role. He also acknowledged Patrick Stewart, saying he was gutted over the X-Men legend.

The conversation took a teasing turn when the interviewer noted that Aramayo shares a publicist with Christopher Abbott, who will play Charles Xavier in the ‘X-Men’ reboot. Asked whether he had anything to break exclusively, Aramayo laughed and said he is working on something but can’t talk about it. That could mean anything, and there is nothing to connect it to Marvel.

The buzz follows a breakout year. Aramayo, a Hull-born Juilliard graduate, won the BAFTA for Best Actor for ‘I Swear’ on February 22, beating Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan and Jesse Plemons in what was widely called one of the all-time BAFTA upsets. He also took home the EE Rising Star Award that night.

In the film, directed by Kirk Jones, he plays John Davidson, the Scottish Tourette’s campaigner. Sony Pictures Classics released it in the US on April 24, and it is eligible for the 2027 Oscars. The performance has helped put him on the radar of audiences beyond his fantasy television work in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.

The awards run matters here because it shows how quickly his profile has changed. A few years ago, few outside the prestige-drama and fantasy crowds would have linked him to a superhero franchise. Now a room full of reporters treats a casual Wolverine question as perfectly reasonable.

Marvel has said nothing officially about a new Wolverine. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ arrives on December 18 with a cast that includes returning X-Men actors such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Channing Tatum and Alan Cumming, while Wolverine remains the most obvious absence.

There are conflicting rumors, too. One suggests the MCU’s X-Men could begin without Logan after ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, while another claims a new Wolverine project is in development at Marvel Studios. Neither has been confirmed, so the casting picture remains wide open.

The role itself explains why every name that surfaces gets this much attention. Jackman first played Logan in 2000 and returned for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, which proved the character still commands huge audiences. Whoever inherits the claws will face comparisons to one of the most closely identified performances in comic book movies, and any actor asked about it is likely to answer with caution.

So far, Aramayo’s response reads less like a tease and more like a gracious deflection. Still, fan casting has a way of snowballing, and an actor with a BAFTA to his name and a reputation for transformation will keep getting mentioned.