A petition to cast Danny DeVito as the next Wolverine is quickly picking up steam. As of publishing time, the petition has more than 14,000 signatures and is on track to reach its goal of 15,000 within the next day. The petition seems to have come out of nowhere, but appears to be a reaction to the controversial Game of Thrones petition, which demands a complete reshoot of the final season.
"[Danny DeVito is] the only man able to take the throne after Hugh Jackman," the petition reads. (Drogon may have torched the Iron Throne, but the analogy still holds up.) Jackman portrayed the conflicted, X-Men character for 17 years before stepping away from the role in 2017 after starring in Logan.
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As the Evening Standard UK noted, the reaction could also stem from the recent merger between Disney and Fox, which restored Marvel's rights to the X-Men franchise.
Whatever the reason, fans seem to be stoked about the prospect and haven't been afraid to share their reasoning online.
"Wolverine was a shorter man and never have I known such a fierce deadly savage that is short like I've know [sic] Danny DeVito," one petitioner wrote. Another said, "I'm signing because it's rare in life that a 100% perfect fit is ever seen. Just want to be a part of history!"
Danny Devito as Wolverine is the single greatest thing I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/vdpqWemGHK
— Reverend Matty (@reverendmatty) May 22, 2019
Some fans have drawn comparisons between Frank, DeVito's character on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Wolverine, arguing the actor has shown signs he's prepared to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. It seems unlikely that Wolverine would ever advocate for Rum Ham or indulge a friend's milksteak dining habits, but who are we to crush thousands of fans' dreams?
No one could ever really replace @RealHughJackman as Wolverine, but I genuinely think that @DannyDeVito would be the guy for the job! #Wolverine #Xalwayssunny pic.twitter.com/LYI7IcSJLA
— Raging Jacko (@LifeOnMxrs) May 22, 2019
Watching @alwayssunny and hearing there’s a petition you can sign to have @DannyDeVito play the next #Wolverine is why I love the internet. But he needs to bang whooores and have his toe knife handy, despite having the claws. pic.twitter.com/O7tQE7ntNd
— Darknight Archivist✌??? (@HistoftheBatman) May 22, 2019
So far, DeVito hasn't responded to the petition on Twitter or through any public statements.
While Disney hasn't explicitly said that the company is planning on rebooting a Wolverine or X-Men franchise, CEO Bob Iger did say during a 2018 earnings call that Disney and its Marvel group are having discussions about new opportunities.
"We meet on a regular basis with our Marvel team, and we've plotted out Marvel movies that will take us well into the next decade," Iger said, according to Business Insider. "I'm guessing that we will try our hand at what I'll call a new franchise beyond Avengers."
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That franchise could include X-Men or Fantastic Four characters, since Marvel recently regained the rights to both.
Additionally, Kevin Feige, producer and president of Marvel Studios, is actively thinking about recasting Wolverine's character, according to Lauren Shuler Donner, a respected producer in the X-Men franchise, who spoke at a 2019 TCAs panel. Unfortunately, her insight stopped there.
"I don't know what Kevin's thinking, honestly," she said, according to Screen Rant. "I don't even think Kevin knows. I think Kevin's still dealing with this wealth of characters and trying to make sense of them."
Perhaps this petition will help provide some clarity.