Apparently, Keanu Reeves wants to play Wolverine.
I like Reeves, and especially in his early movies like ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ and the original ‘Matrix’, where he was well-cast for the roles he played, but I don’t see him as Wolverine.
I think Marvel should cast either a new actor or someone who physically fits the role which was otherwise played so well by Hugh Jackman.
To be faithful to the source material, and to have the actor really portray the Wolverine we know and love from the comics, Marvel has to think smaller.
I mean physically smaller than the six foot three inch tall Hugh Jackman, since Wolverine in the comics was all of five feet and three inches tall (source official Marvel Trading Card from 1991).
In any case, when Wolverine comes back, and even if it’s in the form of a middle aged Keanu Reeves: ‘My name is Logan and I’m totally bodacious at what I do’ (and, for the record, at six foot one, Reeves is also too tall), I doubt it will effect the values of Wolverine's major key comics.
That's because whoever it is that plays Logan on screen can only draw the attention of more fans to the original source material which is mostly excellent to very good.
Of the original comics featuring Wolvie, his first full appearance in Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974) is at this point a Bronze Age Holy Grail for collectors young and old.
I really can’t see a bad casting decision changing that.
Hulk #181 presently has a FMV of around $6, 500.00 in 9.2 certified condition. In 9.8 grade the last three sales of certified copies went for: $21, 510.00 (Heritage on 05/10/2018), $32, 500.00 (ComicLink on 08/29/2018) and $30, 250.00 (ComicLink on 11/28/2018). Madness you say? That’s the power of Wolverine. The same is true for his first appearance in the X-Men universe:
Giant Size X-Men #1 (1975). This comic should retain its value, even if Marvel miscasts the half-pint Canadian firebrand. Currently GS X-Men #1 has a FMV of $5, 500.00 in certified 9.6 condition. The last three 9.8 certified sales went for: $12, 656.00 (ComicLink on 12/03/2018), $11, 141.75 (eBay on 12/03/2018) and $10, 850.00 (just two days ago, 12/16/2018, also on eBay).
What will be interesting for future X-Men and Wolverine projects is the effect these films will have on the value of the Wolverine stand-alone comics which have been slowly, but gradually, appreciating over the years.
Of those comics, the two worth keeping an eye on in the coming years are:
Penned by Chris Claremont with art by Frank Miller, this comic has a special status in the Wolverine canon since it’s the first issue of the celebrated series that gives us Logan’s duel with Lord Shingen and the Hand. In 9.6 certified grade this comic is currently valued at $140.00. The last three sales of certified 9.8 went for: $300.00 (eBay on 12/16/2018), $350.00 (eBay on 12/17/2018) and $270.00 (eBay on 12/17/2018). Returns are mixed with best numbers on 5.5 certified copies at positive + 238.4% roi after 10 sales since 2013.
Chris Claremont again wrote this early Wolverine outing (this time with John Buscema on pencils) that launches Logan’s first long running comic book series. Sure the secret identity of ‘Patch’ was kind of goofy (it’s Wolverine with a Patch over one eye), but Logan’s adventures on Madripoor are still fun to re-read. A 9.6 certified copy will cost you around $80.00. The last three 9.8 sales went for: $164.65 (eBay on 12/13/2018), $178.32 (eBay on 12/15/2018) and $199.00 (eBay on 12/15/2018). Returns are currently mixed with best returns on 7.0 grades at positive + 153.1% after 43 sales since 2012.
