Hugh Jackman made Wolverine as iconic as it could have been. From his brooding persona to intense physicality, Jackman truly brought the comic book character to life in every sense, completely changing how fans view him. While the actor reportedly said goodbye to the character in 2017’s Logan, he is said to make his last ever appearance in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
While the credit for making the character memorable solely goes to Jackman and the immense hard work he put into it, he wasn’t even the first or second choice of the production. Thanks to the Man of Steel star Russell Crowe, Jackman ended up bagging the role.
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Russell Crowe Played a Part in Hugh Jackman Bagging Wolverine
Hugh Jackman’s dedication to the role of fan’s most-favorite mutant is well known. The actor had to undergo extremely intense physical training to achieve the iconic Wolverine look and maintain it throughout the many movies. However, the actor was never the first choice for his role for the production originally wanted to have Gladiator star Russell Crowe for Wolverine.
Yet, the Man of Steel star declined the role, stating the following (via news.com.au),
“Bryan [Singer, X-Men director] was a friend at the time and he was really putting the pressure on… If you remember, Maximus has a wolf at the centre of his cuirass, and he has a wolf as his companion … which I thought was going to be a bigger deal [at the time]. So I said no, because I didn’t want to be ‘wolfy’, like ‘Mr Wolf’.”
The studio next approached Dougray Scott while keeping Jackman as a backup choice as per the recommendation of Crowe. Fortunately, Scott was unable to film due to his other work commitments, making way for Hugh Jackman to become Wolverine (via The Things).
Hugh Jackman Thanks Russell Crowe For Helping Him Get Wolverine
Thanks to Russell Crowe’s recommendation, Hugh Jackman got his most popular role of Wolverine. But that is not the only role he owes to the Gladiator star, for Crowe had also recommended the Greatest Showman star for his role in Australia.
Thanking Crowe in an interview, Jackman stated in an old interview with Entertainment Weekly,
“Russell has given me advice several times at key moments in my life that helped with my career. I also owe him because two of the biggest roles I’ve ever had in my life, he turned down – and suggested me for them… He was Bryan Singer’s first choice for Wolverine, and he mentioned me also for [Baz Luhrmann’s] Australia. He really is incredibly smart, and generous.”
