Stephen Merchant Wants His 'Logan' Character to Appear in the MCU

Stephen Merchant got a taste of the superhero world in Logan and now he's eyeing up an introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 2017, he played the X-Men character Caliban in the Wolverine movie Logan, alongside Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Richard E. Grant.

With Marvel having been acquired by Disney, many of the X-Men and Marvel characters owned by the former's studio are set to join the successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving Merchant an opportunity to join too.

Merchant was speaking to Newsweek ahead of the launch of his new comedy drama The Outlaws which arrives on Prime Video on April 1.

Logan was Jackman's final performance as Wolverine and it was also set to be Stewart's last movie as Professor X, but he's been confirmed to appear in the upcoming movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Merchant's character died in Logan, but he doesn't see that as an excuse to stop him joining Stewart in Disney's MCU.

"A prequel series perhaps?" Merchant told Newsweek. "I would happily consider that because I really enjoyed that process because it was something different."

His role as the superpowered Caliban was a departure from Merchant's usual work. He is best known for creating The Office with Ricky Gervais and for other projects, such as Hall Pass, Fighting With My Family and Jojo Rabbit.

Merchant acknowledges he's often seen as a "jack of all trades, master of none" but enjoys the opportunity to try things like Logan.

"I never set out to become an actor, primarily I fancy myself more of a John Cleese type rather than a Cumberbatch. To have done things like [Logan] and to have really enjoyed the challenge of it is stimulating," Merchant said.

He continued: "I'm privileged because of the success of The Office," which has been sold to dozens different countries, "so I'm not burdened about making money as other people are, so I can choose things from what seems like an interesting or creative point of view. Not many people get that privilege."

Merchant's character in Logan was completely bald and had silver skin. "Having this four-hour make up job was fascinating but it still became frustrating," Merchant recalled.

"There was a moment where me and Richard E. Grant were stuck in Natchez, Mississippi, and there's a thing called weather cover in big productions, where they keep you around in case it rains and they can shoot a scene indoors.

"I fully understand that's part of the job but because Richard and I were stuck in this full time, we never saw anybody.

"So just me and Richard Grant, and we'd never met each other before, and suddenly we're living in each other's pockets for two weeks. Like an old married couple, we'd do a pub quiz and squabble over the answers, we'd have dinner, breakfast with each other, it became like Waiting for Godot," Merchant recalled.

"Maybe I should talk to Richard about it, but I really feel I'd like to write a play about our experience. That's the memory that really sticks with me from my two weeks in Natchez, Mississippi."

Merchant's next project, The Outlaws launches on Prime Video in the United States on Friday, April 1, 2022.

Newsweek will publish an interview with Merchant and his co-star Christopher Walken discussing the The Outlaws close to the show's launch.