Tom Hardy Is Hugh Jackman’s Pick to Take Over as Wolverine

Hugh Jackman is hanging up his claws following “Wolverine 3,” and oddsmakers have been taking bets on who should take over the superhero role.

There is now a new frontrunner thanks to the X-Men mutant himself.

“I think Tom Hardy would be a great Wolverine,” Jackman told MTV News. “He is younger than me for sure,” said the 46-year-old Australian actor of his 38-year-old British counterpart.

Jackman also admitted that while he has been asked the question a lot, he “hasn’t really given it a lot of thought… I’m always like, ‘I don’t wanna make it too easy on the studio to replace me,’ you know? I’ve still got one more [film] to do. I’m sure they’re already talking about it, and there’s some actor [they’ve told] ‘shh, keep it quiet but we want you next.’”

Having first portrayed Logan/Wolverine in 2000’s “X-Men,” Jackman has gone on to play the role five consecutive times since. He isn’t saying goodbye to the franchise just yet, however, as “X-Men: Apocalypse” will be released on May 27, 2016, followed by “Wolverine 3” in March 2017.

Hardy is currently also British bookies’ favorite to take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond after earning great critical acclaim for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Locke” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”