Daniel Radcliffe denies getting buff to play Wolverine: ‘I got buff because I am obsessive’

‘Harry Potter’ star’s ripped physique in ‘Miracle Workers’ finale ignited speculation among Marvel fans

Daniel Radcliffe is once again shutting down rumours that he might take over as Wolverine in future X-Men films.

The Harry Potter star, 34, has long been the subject of fan casting due to his resemblance to the Marvel mutant, famously portrayed by Hugh Jackman across all the live-action movies.

While Radcliffe has repeatedly downplayed the rumours, last month he reignited further speculation after he showed off his drastic body transformation in the series finale of TBS comedy Miracle Workers.

Asked if he had started the Wolverine rumour himself, during the latest episode of Vanity Fair’s popular Lie Detector test, Radcliffe told his Merrily We Roll Along Broadway co-stars Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez: “No.”

“So you just got buff for no reason?” Mendez retorted.

“Yes,” Radcliffe responded, laughing. “I got buff because I am obsessive, and I want to… You’ve seen my parents, they’re like insane fitness people. So that’s just been passed on. But no. No Wolverine. Flattered, but no.”

After Jackman’s last outing as the vigilante in 2024’s Deadpool 3, he will hand the reigns over to another actor, with Radcliffe and Welsh actor Taron Egerton leading predictions.

Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Miracle Workers’ and hugh Jackman in ‘X-Men’ (TBS and Marvel Entertainment)

Radcliffe brushed off gossip in an interview with GQ last year, saying that any headlines claiming he was considering the role were “purely a press tour rumor”.

“I say something, and then occasionally I get bored of answering that way so I say something different, and that sets it off again,” Radcliffe said. “I should just never open my mouth.”

Of why he had no interest in the role, he added: “I just don’t ever want to get locked into something that I am not sure I will be able to love the same amount the whole time.”

Radcliffe recently returned to Broadway, alongside Groff and Mendez, in the revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along.

Radcliffe recently said he learnt a lot from watching the way his late Harry Potter co-star, Uncle Vernon actor Richard Griffiths, approached theatre acting. He described his process of constant and relentless refinement. You’re never done. Your last show should be your best.”

Meanwhile, Jackman will make his much-anticipated Wolverine comeback in the upcoming Deadpool 3, opposite Ryan Reynolds. His surprise reprisal comes after he announced his retirement from the character in 2017.