Troye Sivan, the forgotten Logan of 2009’s “X-Men Origins”

In 2009, Hugh Jackman ceased to be the only actor to have played the character: Troye Sivan took on a teenage version of the character in “X-Men Origins”. For millions of viewers, the character remains inseparable from Hugh Jackman’s imposing presence. He played the adamantium-clawed mutant for more than two decades and became the undisputed face of the franchise. Yet the character’s film history contains this largely forgotten episode.

Now 31, the South African actor has more than 15 million followers on Instagram alone. At the time of filming, the production selected Troye Sivan, then just 14, to play the young James Howlett, before he had fully manifested his abilities and adopted his famous alias.

His appearance in the prologue captures the dramatic moment when the character discovers his mutant powers after a tragic family event. Released in 2009, the film explored the hero’s turbulent past from his earliest childhood years.

At that point, Troye Sivan was still little known to the wider public outside Australia, where he had lived since the age of two after his parents moved to Perth. The emerging young actor was taking his first steps in entertainment after gaining notice in local talent competitions and during YouTube’s early days.

The child with the heart-rending gaze who played the future character would subsequently follow a path very different from superhero cinema. Over the years, Sivan left fictional claws behind to become one of international pop’s biggest stars. Global hit songs, Grammy nominations and millions of followers worldwide established him not only as a musical reference point, but also as a global icon of culture and visibility.

His acting career continued intermittently, but his identity as a pop star ultimately overshadowed his Marvel debut. Revisiting the prologue of the character’s first solo film now offers pop-culture fans a mix of nostalgia and surprise: one of today’s most influential singers plays the comic-book icon before his global rise.