Hugh Jackman was almost fired for playing Wolverine

If Marvel’s X Men When a major motion picture was officially greenlit in 1999, fan expectations were incredibly high. Although there had been many cast changes since their comic book debut in 1963’s Xavier’s School for the Gifted, the casting decisions for the mutant characters were heavily scrutinized in publications such as Wizard Magazine and online forums. Of all the X-Men, Wolverine has been the most controversial cast among fans.

Like many superheroes that made it to the big screen, such as Spider-Man and Batman, many big names were considered due to their star status and physical attributes compared to Weapon X itself. One name that no one noticed in 1999 was an unknown Australian stage actor Hugh Jackman, whose talent eventually brought Wolverine into the ranks of Dirty Harry And Crazy Max as a memorable, edgy action hero in the cinema. Ironic, He almost didn’t make it.

Prominent Hollywood actors were afraid to play Wolverine

Already in 1984 X Men was one of many Marvel Comics adaptations stuck in development hell. As the film went through a revolving door of affiliated studios and filmmakers, several well-known talents were brought in for Logan/Wolverine. Legendary Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont urged a British actor Bob Hoskinswho was known for playing small but brutal gangsters The long Good Friday And Mona Lisa. After Richard Donner and his wife Lauren Schuler Donner acquired the production rights for X Men In the mid-90s, A-stars acted like Mel Gibson, Keanu Reevesand even rock star Glenn Danzig were in the running for Wolverine because of their high-profile personalities.

Despite the great interest surrounding the… X Men During the project, established actors in Hollywood still had reservations about taking on a superhero role. Many feared a similar career fate Christopher Reeve who struggled to shake off his Superman image outside of the film series. Furthermore, in a time before the MCU and the DCEU, Few actors were willing to commit long-term to the idea of ​​being part of a multi-film franchise.

Russell Crowe’s rejection of Wolverine led to the casting of Hugh Jackman

When hiring Bryan Singer In 1996, he became the director of the critically acclaimed film The usual suspects had his eye on the latest Australian import to bring Wolverine to life: Russell Crowe. Crowe’s career was red hot after his breakthrough LA Confidential. His handsome but rugged good looks and intensity on screen seemed to make him a good fit for Logan. But with offers flooding in from major studios and the dire stigma attached to superhero films following the release of the critically reviled films Batman and Robin, Crowe feared being typecast and declined Singer’s offer. On the way out, however Crowe suggested his Australian friend Jackman for the role.

Related

Hugh Jackman actually played a legendary DC hero too

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…Wolverine?

At first Jackman had no idea about Wolverine or that X Men Comics. He only made two film appearances in Australia and most of his acting life was on stage. He was only given three pages to read, which his then-wife did Deborra Lee Furness read and subsequently persuaded him not to accept the role due to its “ridiculous” nature X Men. Because Jackman was competing with several other high-profile actors, the role was ultimately awarded Dougray Scott. Scott was about to play the prince’s counterpart Drew Barrymore In Forever and had just been cast as Tom Cruise’s antagonist Mission: Impossible 2.

It seemed like 2000 would be Scott’s breakout year until an on-set bike accident and pressure from Cruise led to his exit X Men. In return, Singer revisited Jackman’s audition and gave him the role three weeks into production. Although the opportunity would be significant for any struggling actor, an unknown talent like Jackman was under enormous pressure early on.

Hugh Jackman was almost fired from X-Men

As his first major film role Jackman was nervous about meeting fans’ high expectations for the role. With little time to prepare, as evidenced by his slender stature in the film, Jackman not only studied the comics but also watched them X-Men: The Animated Series to nail the Wolverine voice, which was closely tied to the voice actor Cal Dodd. He also studied wolf behavior to get to the heart of the mutant’s action movements and “berserker rage.” However, Jackman’s height of 1.80 m was frowned upon by Marvel fans, who wanted an actor with the comic book height of 1.70 m.

Within two months of filming, Jackman met with the studio head at 20th Century Fox Tom Rothmanwho expressed his confidence in him based on his audition tape. Still, Rothman found the everyday scenes with Jackman to be “like watching someone hang a lampshade over a light.” In a 2019 interview with We Got This Covered, Jackman recalled rumors about it The studio is considering firing him as Wolverine. Although he vented his frustration, His wife convinced him to trust his instincts instead of pleasing the studio and fans.

Ultimately, Jackman exceeded all fans’ expectations X Men Cinema hits in the summer of 2000. He became an overnight movie star as his on-screen charisma overcame every obstacle during production. Much like Reeve as Superman, it proved this once again Iconic superhero characters work best when an unknown actor can dispel the audience’s disbelief. Although actors like Gibson and Crowe would have been good choices, their star status would have marred the role. In later years, Jackman increasingly relied on Wolverine’s comic book roots X Men Sequels, spin-offs and the latest summer blockbuster hit Deadpool and Wolverine. His strong love and devotion to the character over the last 24 years will forever be linked to his amazing acting career.

X Men and its sequels are now streaming on Disney+ in the US

X Men

In a world where mutants (evolved humans with superpowers) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood and the pacifist X-Men.

Release date

July 14, 2000

Duration

104 minutes

slogan

Join the evolution

Expand

Watch on Disney+