I Can't Believe Daniel Radcliffe Used The Term 'Cursed Chalice' When Asked About Following In Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Footsteps

Daniel Radcliffe in The Lost City and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine.
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures/ Marvel)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, with thrilling new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Folks who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are always looking to the future, and fans are especially interested to see who will play the X-Men in upcoming Marvel movies. Some people want to see Daniel Radcliffe play Wolverine, but he recently described taking on the mantle after Hugh Jackman as a "cursed chalice".

After Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the door was finally open for mutants to join the MCU. While the OGs of the X-Men movies are back for Avengers: Doomsday, new actors are expected to take on their roles in future projects. Radcliffe has been a popular online choice for Wolverine, and in an interview from ScreenRant's TikTok he addressed the ongoing chatter. In his words:

The classic one has always been Wolverine. I still get people coming up to me and being like, ‘Is that gonna happen?’ I’m like ‘Dude, no.’ Look, somebody will prove me wrong and do a great job.

This isn't the first time Radcliffe has laughed off those rumors, and it sounds like he doesn't have much of an interest in actually playing Wolverine. But given his ongoing popularity from the Harry Potter movies, as well as his status as a short king, fans are likely going to keep the discourse going until another actor is officially named as the next Logan.

Disney+: from $11.99 a month w/ ad-supported plan

Disney+: from $11.99 a month w/ ad-supported plan
Disney+ is the home for the MCU and X-Men franchises. Plans start at $11.99 a month for its new ad-supported plan. Go ad-free and pay $18.99 a month or save 16% and pre-pay $189.99 for a year.

This chatter about him playing Wolverine has been going on for years now, especially once Radcliffe put on some muscle. But later in the same interview, he shared why he really isn't interested in taking on the role so famously played by Hugh Jackman. In the actor's words:

I think it’s a bit of a cursed chalice to be the person that follows Hugh Jackman in Wolverine. I’m not sure I would want that job. I’m sure somebody out there will and will do it wonderfully. But he’s made it pretty definitive, so I don’t know that I would even want to do that.

He's not wrong. Jackman has been playing the clawed mutant for decades, so whoever tried to take on the mantle will have some very big shoes to fill. That's seemingly a big reason why Daniel Radcliffe isn't entertaining the idea of playing Wolverine; it's too daunting of a task given how synonymous the Greatest Showman actor is with that role. So, while "cursed chalice" was an unexpected way to describe all this, it does make a lot of sense.

In the years that have passed since playing Harry Potter, Radcliffe has established himself as an accomplished and versatile star of movies, TV, and Broadway. It's been fascinating to see his choice of projects, even if some fans still want him to play Wolverine in the MCU.

The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. As for Radcliffe, he can be seen in the new NBC show The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.