It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Hugh Jackman donning a set of adamantium claws as Wolverine, but some may remember that Russell Crowe was originally offered the part. Obviously Crowe declined, but it turns out he was vital in Jackman landing the part.
Comic Book Movie posted a quote from a Jackman interview with Triple M 104.9FM about Crowe’s involvement. Check it out below.
“Bryan Singer asked Rusty (Crowe) to do Wolverine, and he said, ‘Nah mate I’ve just done ‘Gladiator’, it’s not for me but you should look at this guy.”
Though Crowe was probably in excellent Wolverine shape after Gladiator, we ought to all thank him for getting his countryman the role, and Singer for taking Crowe’s advice. While Crowe would have undoubtably been excellent in the role, Jackman has become Wolverine, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else stepping into the partt. Despite all the shortcomings of the X-Men films, one thing was that was strong throughout was Jackman’s performance.
Jackman’s next outing as the character, The Wolverine, hits theaters July 26, 2013, with the first trailer rumored to drop sometime in early 2013.
From what we’ve seen so far, The Wolverine should be a departure from the somewhat disappointing X-Men films of recent years. Director James Mangold has made it clear that the new film isn’t a prequel, or even necessarily related to films we’ve seen. It’ll be a stand-alone entry, which is probably the right way for the character to be attacked. The X-Men days of Wolverine may be the most well-known, but they’re only a small part of a complex character. The Wolverine should explore some of the deeper aspects of the character in a much more effective way than the origins film did.
Is Hugh Jackman your ideal Wolverine, or would you have rather seen Crowe in the role? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.