Zac Efron Joining Marvel In Mystery MCU Role?
A week ago, we shared a rumor that Dwayne Johnson may appear in an upcoming Marvel movie, but The Rock isn’t the only A-lister the MCU is eyeing to join their team of cinematic superheroes and villains. Now, it’s reported that Zac Efron is in talks to join the Marvel crew. It’s unclear who the High School Musical actor will play or whether this mystery role will be a hero or a villain.
Zac Efron Refuses To Be Typecast
In 2006, Zac Efron rose to prominence as Troy Bolton in the teen musical High School Musical. He played the basketball star turned theater kid in three films before adjusting to college-age roles and adopting a “frat boy” persona for Neighbors and Dirty Grandpa.
To keep from getting type-cast in a single genre, the actor soon showed a much darker side in movies like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and, most recently, The Iron Claw. If the rumors are true, Zac Efron will shift gears once more as he gets ready to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Potential Marvel Roles
The rumor that Zac Efron is joining the Marvel team was shared by the entertainment industry scooper, @MyTimeToShineH. However, the account was unable to give information as to what type of character Efron will play if discussions with producers go well. So, for now, we’ll have to leave it up to our imaginations.
There are plenty of roles Zac Efron could play in the Marvel Universe. For instance, if other MCU-related rumors are true and the studio is about to develop a Nova TV series, Efron could play Richard Rider, the host of the Nova force and a superhero with abilities including superstrength, flight, and resistance to injury.
The Iron Claw Got Everyone’s Attention
While that’s just one possibility, Zac Efron’s combination of acting ability, physical presence, and charisma make him a strong contender for a variety of Marvel roles. As of now, we’re not even certain if he’s up for any parts in the MCU, but after the actor’s critically acclaimed performance in The Iron Claw in 2023, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kevin Feige had his eye on him.
Wolverine Rumors
Kevin Feige is known to take general meetings with actors, so it’s not unreasonable to believe the President of Marvel Studios has had at least one conversation with Zac Efron about joining the Marvel family. Efron himself has admitted in the past to being a fan of the comic book brand and with the MCU in the middle of a transition period, the studio needs to accumulate a collection of high-demand actors.
In the past, there have been rumors that Zac Efron would take over the part of Wolverine as the X-Men are introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor addressed the rumors while guest-starring on an episode of The Tonight Show in 2022. He said, “I think Hugh’s still doing that pretty well. I got to give it to him.”
Worked With Hugh Jackman Before
Indeed, Hugh Jackman is reprising his role of Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine where both characters will make their MCU debut. However, Jackman is not expected to continue to play the part after the Deadpool film and Zac Efron has some leverage to inherit the Marvel character if he wanted to, considering he worked with Jackman in The Greatest Showman and could easily get the actor’s blessing.
But only time will tell whether Zac Efron plays Richard Rider, Wolverine, or even joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe at all. Be sure to check in for more updates as they come!
