Who Plays Sabretooth In Deadpool & Wolverine (& Why Marvel Has Undone Its Own Recasting)

Deadpool & Wolverine will finally see Wade Wilson and Logan together on screen, but there’s another major reunion with an unexpected actor swap. Fox was the driving force behind live-action X-Men movies for roughly two decades. In 2000, the studio released X-Men, which exploded in popularity, and introduced the world to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, which would become the most recognizable and well-loved version of the character.

In that same movie, the superhero team of mutants was introduced, and the rivals that they would face off against, led by Ian McKellan’s Magneto. While Magneto served as the primary rival to Professor Charles Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart, Wolverine had his own rival to contend with in that original movie. However, Sabretooth, as portrayed by Tyler Mane, was never seen again in the Fox movies, and when the character returned in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a new actor, Liev Schreiber, had taken over the role.

Tyler Mane Plays Sabretooth In Deadpool & Wolverine

Going Back To A Classic Look For Sabretooth

Tyler Mane appeared as the original version of Sabretooth in the 2000 X-Men movie. With long scruffy hair, sharp elongated nails, and a large and imposing stature which made him appear even more wild and animalistic than Wolverine. Now, in Deadpool & Wolverine, Mane returns to the role, with Sabretooth looking broadly similar, except for a few more gray hairs than blonde. This marks the first time that Mane returns to this role for a live-action project, and considering his only other opportunity to play the character was in the 2006 official game, it’s a big moment.

This version of Sabretooth is more in line with the comics, both in terms of the look of the character and the backstory. Sabretooth is a much larger and more obviously strong character than Wolverine, but that size difference is an important aspect of having Logan appear as the underdog, who fights hard and comes out on top. In addition, the long blonde hair, sharp teeth, and dark eyes all add to the aesthetic of the villain that clashes with Wolverine. As a result, Mane is the perfect choice for a movie that will finally see Wolverine don his comic’s accurate yellow and blue costume.

Why Liev Schreiber Isn’t Returning As Sabretooth

Despite Delivering An Incredible Performance As Sabretooth

While Liev Schreiber undoubtedly gave an outstanding performance as Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the version of the character in that movie is much more challenging to reconcile with the standard X-Men movie timeline. Schreiber’s Sabretooth is actually revealed to be the half brother of Wolverine in Origins, but that adds a layer of complexity that Deadpool & Wolverine does not have time to address.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a comic book event type movie with numerous cameos, from variants of different heroes and villains across the Marvel Universe. It’s possible that Schreiber could be added in for a brief cameo, but his version of Sabretooth is not quite as cinematic or impressive as Mane’s. For an epic battle between Wolverine and Sabretooth, especially one that has the potential to mirror key moments and frames from classic comic books, Wolverine needs his classic costume, and Sabretooth needs to be played by Mane in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine

A sequel to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first film in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Ryan Reynolds is returning to play the character, alongside Hugh Jackman, reprising his Wolverine role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time. 

Director

Shawn Levy

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Studio(s)

Marvel , Maximum Effort

Writers

Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick

Cast

Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Emma Corrin , Morena Baccarin , Rob Delaney , Leslie Uggams , Karan Soni , Matthew Macfadyen , Brianna Hildebrand , Shioli Kutsuna , Stefan Kapicic , Lewis Tan , Randal Reeder , Jennifer Garner , Aaron Stanford , Billy Clements , Ollie Palmer , Chris Hemsworth , Rob McElhenney

Character(s)

Deadpool , Wolverine , Cassandra Nova , Vanessa Carlysle , Peter , Blind Al , Dopinder , Mr. Paradox , Negasonic Teenage Warhead , Pinkie Pie , Colossus , Shatterstar , Buck , Elektra Natchios , Pyro , Russian , Bar Patron , Thor , TVA Minuteman

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