Hugh Jackman Was Offered James Bond Role Before Daniel Craig
Hugh Jackman says he was offered the role of James Bond, but decided to focus on Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman certainly has a roughish charm that makes him the perfect Wolverine, but that same charm has also led to many people fan-casting him as James Bond. Apparently, this fan-casting also came true as Jackman revealed in an IndieWire interview that the role was offered to Jackman before Daniel Craig. However, this was the beginning of Jackman’s superhero career, and, as he puts it, “If I’m doing that and Wolverine, I’ll have no time to do anything else.”
It definitely makes sense that Hugh Jackman would be wary about playing the same character for years, especially when he already had a role like that. It’s something that Daniel Craig himself has mentioned about his time as James Bond in the past. Although being in those roles can be lucrative and it can be fun to play a beloved franchise character, it does come with a lot of strings attached.
Fortunately, things worked out for everyone and we got plenty of fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and plenty of great movies with Daniel Craig’s James Bond. Craig finally ended his tenure as Bond in 2021’s No Time to Die. Many thought Jackman had also ended his tenure as Wolverine after the incredible swan song Logan in 2017, but he surprised us when it was announced he would return as the clawed mutant in Deadpool 3.
The hype is at an all-time high for Hugh Jackman to return to his fan-favorite role in Deadpool 3. Not only will it officially make Deadpool a part of the MCU, but it will make Wolverine a character in the MCU as well. The official arrival of the X-Men in the MCU has been much-anticipated and bringing in one of the best X-Men and one of the best actors to play one is definitely a good move on Marvel’s part.
Unfortunately, there’s not much news about Deadpool 3 yet, as they’re keeping the plot details tightly under wraps. We do know that Ryan Reynolds will be back as the Merc with a Mouth and that Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine, but that’s about it. We also know Shawn Levy is directing with a script by Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and that the release date is November 8, 2024.
As for who will play James Bond next, it’s a pretty safe bet that the role won’t be offered to Hugh Jackman. At this point, Jackman would be unlikely to sign on for a franchise that would require him to stick around for a long time. The Bond producers also would likely want to pick a younger actor who will be able to stick around for at least as long as Daniel Craig did, if not longer.
We’ll just have to wait for more details about both the Deadpool franchise and the James Bond franchise. In the meantime, you can catch Hugh Jackman much sooner than 2024, when he appears in the movie The Son. The Son, which also stars Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Hopkins, and Laura Dern, will be hitting theaters for a wide release on January 20, 2023.
