Henry Cavill: Wolverine — The Most Uncanny X-Men Casting Rumor Explained

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are no strangers when it comes to outlandish casting rumors that raise our hopes for an unattainable idea or baffle us about how they got started in the first place. You could throw a dart at a board with pictures of Hollywood's buzziest actors and accidentally strike someone reportedly "in talks," spawning from largely unsubstantiated claims which evolve into catchy headlines, admittedly rad fan art, and — in the case of John Krasinski — an actual on-screen appearance in the MCU.

That last part seems especially unlikely for Henry Cavill, a fan-favorite superhero icon who has found himself rumored to play multiple popular Marvel Comics characters. One rumor that seemed to stick (at least for a time) was that the "Man of Steel" star would portray Wolverine, arguably the most recognizable character from the "X-Men" series. Due to journalistic integrity, we can't know for certain how the rumor started, as doing so would presumably reveal a source. Multiple publications claim "a source" relayed the news, though well-connected legacy publications like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter never confirmed it.

Of course, that role is set to be reprised by Hugh Jackman in the upcoming "Deadpool 3," but that doesn't explain how this noise got started in the first place. While some feel there are deceptive forces at play (and in certain circumstances, there allegedly are), the situation is often more complicated, relating to how entertainment journalists acquire their scoops by interacting with Hollywood insiders.

Journalists can get information on casting rumors through the talent agencies representing various actors (Henry Cavill, for instance, was represented by Seven Bucks Production co-founder Dany Garcia until 2022). While this may seem like a sure way to get accurate information, that's apparently not always the case. As DC Films co-chair and CEO James Gunn told Michael Rosenbaum on the actor's podcast, most of the casting rumors about "Superman: Legacy" were false — an obviously irritating aspect of the process stemming from agents trying to boost their clients.

 "[Journalists] find out some things from [talent agencies], but here's the problem: They find out some things from agencies that might be true, [and] they find out other things from agencies which are agencies pushing their clients," Gunn said. Rosenbaum and Gunn implied this tactic was far from exclusive to agents, with directors and even the actors lying about their involvement in certain projects for headlines.

There's also the boring yet understandable fact that something could get lost in translation. Jeff Sneider, a fairly reliable scooper, alleged on his "Hot Mic" podcast that "The Boys" and "Oppenheimer" actor Jack Quaid would play the Human Torch in Marvel Studios' "Fantastic Four." When Quaid took to Twitter to refute this claim, Sneider quickly apologized via Above the Line, admitting that he had inferred the news from a source who shared the role would be played by "JQ." He clarified that he now understood the actor was "Stranger Things" star Joseph Quinn. As always, it's best to take any casting rumors with a hefty grain of salt, as nothing is truly set in stone until contracts are signed and filming begins.