Jeremy Allen White as Wolverine? For once, Marvel fans actually agree

So, this is a new one: Jeremy Allen White – the bloke from The Bear – has apparently made his way onto Marvel Studios' radar as a potential replacement for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Yes, you read that correctly. The idea's got Marvel fans online properly stirred up, for better or worse, and no one's quite sure whether to cheer or clutch their pearls just yet.

Jeremy Allen White has met with Marvel Studios about possibly taking on Wolverine in the next X-Men film.

The Rumours Start Swirling

Word of all this came from Jeff Sneider, who said in his newsletter that White had a chat with Marvel about a role in the impending X-Men reboot. But just to be clear, a meeting does not mean a contract's on the table. As Sneider puts it, White hasn't been officially offered the claws or anything – at this point, they've just had a conversation. Still, that hasn't stopped the speculation train from rolling at full tilt.

The online tip actually kicked off with @SchwayJohn on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter), who said Marvel is 'talking to' Jeremy Allen White for Wolverine. Apparently, he's worked with Disney twice before – something Marvel tends to like – and a lot of fans reckon his height is much nearer to what Wolverine's supposed to be in the comics. It's odd to think about given Hugh Jackman basically dominated the role for two decades, but Marvel are nothing if not prone to shaking things up.

Fans Weigh In (Loudly, Of Course)

• Some reckon this is a great left-field choice, arguing White's acting chops more than make up for the lack of cigar-chomping berserker energy – just look at his turn in The Bear if you doubt it.
• Others have doubts, with chatter about White's 'nice guy vibes' being a stumble compared to Jackman's wilder take. Because, apparently, not looking like you could bite someone's head off in a Canadian bar fight is now a flaw.
• A handful seem convinced he's the only actor out there who could even attempt to measure up to Jackman's now iconic legacy.

One fan, going by @BattinsonMarvel, argued that White 'wouldn't overshadow the rest of the X-Men like Jackman did', describing him as 'short, muscular, looks like he doesn’t shower, can probably get very hairy, and he's a good actor'. Well, you can't say the internet doesn't know what it wants in a mutant anti-hero.

Here's the kicker: some insiders are floating the idea that Wolverine's bit in the X-Men reboot might be fairly minor at first, with more time to shine in later MCU outings. So if White does land the part, don't expect a solo movie straight out of the gate.

Jeremy Allen White has reportedly already worked with Disney twice before getting in the mix to play Wolverine.

The whole thing's still very much up in the air – no casting announcement from Marvel, no front-page headline, just a fair bit of industry gossip and fan theorising. But if they really do hand White the claws and sideburns, well, at least it'll give us something new to argue over, won't it?