Ranking All Wolverines: Does Hugh Jackman Top Movies, TV Shows, and Games?

After a seven-year hiatus, Hugh Jackman has returned to his iconic role as Logan/Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, now showing in theaters. Few actors are as synonymous with their characters as Jackman is with Wolverine.

But is Hugh Jackman truly the best Wolverine? Many actors have portrayed Marvel’s legendary hero across film, TV series, and video games, making it an apt time to rank all the Wolverines from worst to best.

William Callaway had the honor of being the first actor to voice Wolverine in an episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Unfortunately, his choice to use an Australian accent for a character known as Canadian didn’t resonate well.

Patrick Pinney voiced Wolverine in the one-off pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men. Similar to Callaway, his take on Wolverine featured an incongruous Australian accent that just didn’t match the character.

Milo Ventimiglia, known for his stellar acting in This Is Us, unfortunately missed the mark voicing Wolverine in an anime series. His youthful voice didn’t quite align with the gruffness associated with Wolverine, leading to a less impactful performance.

David Kaye took on the role of Wolverine in the largely forgotten fighting game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. His performance was middling, not providing enough to be ranked higher.

In the Ultimate Spider-Man video game, Keith Szarabajka had a brief cameo as Wolverine, including a boss fight against Venom. While somewhat interesting, this short stint didn’t offer much to solidify his place among the best Wolverines.

Veteran actor Kevin Michael Richardson was a creative choice for voicing Wolverine in a single episode of the Black Panther animated series. His performance piqued interest, leaving fans wanting more.

Fans long speculated Clint Eastwood would be perfect for an older Logan after the success of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Old Man Logan. Robert Patrick came closest to fulfilling that vision when he voiced an older Wolverine in the Marvel Wastelanders: Wolverine podcast. His gravitas alone brings Logan to life.

Richard Armitage, best known as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy, voiced Wolverine in two scripted podcasts, Wolverine: The Long Night and Wolverine: The Lost Trail. His gruff vocal quality effectively captured the essence of Wolverine.

Mark Hamill, renowned for voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, lent his voice to Wolverine once in the X2: Wolverine’s Revenge video game. Tasked with capturing the spirit of Jackman’s Wolverine, Hamill delivered commendably.

Scott McNeil voiced Wolverine in the animated series X-Men: Evolution. While the series primarily focused on the teenage characters, Wolverine remained an adult, giving McNeil plenty of opportunities to hone his portrayal over four seasons.

Steve Blum is possibly the most prolific voice actor to play Wolverine, having voiced Logan in 19 different projects over 20 years. Starting with the X-Men Legends video game in 2004, his defining role came in the Wolverine and the X-Men animated series.

Cal Dodd is cherished by fans for his portrayal of Wolverine in X-Men: The Animated Series. He even returned for the new X-Men ’97. Despite changes in his voice over time, Dodd continues to capture the innate qualities of Logan effortlessly.

Finally, Hugh Jackman stands as the definitive Wolverine. Though initially not director Bryan Singer’s first choice, Jackman embodied the character completely. His height aside, Jackman’s performance encapsulates Wolverine’s ferocity, anguish, and heart. Deadpool & Wolverine marks Jackman’s 10th on-screen appearance as the character, having defined the role for 24 years with many hoping he continues for more. He truly is “the best there is at what he does.”

Source: Digital Trends