Hugh Jackman became a global action star through his portrayal of the gruff, razor-clawed mutant Wolverine in X-Men. He even holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero. However, had fate played out differently, we might have seen the actor as a refined, gadget-reliant spy alongside the feral mutant. Back in 2000, his breakout performance as Wolverine in X-Men caught the attention of the Bond producers, who eventually offered him the coveted role.

However, Jackman chose to walk away from the role, a decision he would later wish he had reconsidered after seeing Casino Royale. 

Hugh Jackman detailed this lore during an interview on The Howard Stern Show back in 2023. The actor shared how he was approached by his agent about playing 007 in the early 2000s, right around the time he was preparing to shoot X-Men 2. At the time, Jackman felt the Bond scripts had become too unrealistic and suggested they make the movies grittier. However, when he was told he would not have any creative input, he passed on the role. 

“It’s a bit like the Secret Service. They don’t want to offer it to you and you say no. So no one wants to be rejected. They will canvas maybe six or seven people”, Jackman said of the casting process. 

Jackman even reached out to Russel Crowe for advice, who also cautioned him against taking on both Bond and Wolverine at the same time. The decision eventually led Jackman to reject Bond, as he shared on The Howard Stern Show. But after watching Casino Royale, the actor had what can only be described as an “oops” moment.

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Jackman may have passed on Bond, but he went on to have considerable creative control over the X-Men franchise from the second film onward.

When Hugh Jackman was cast at the last minute as Wolverine in the original X-Men (2000), he had no creative authority. But his creative input was evident as early as X2, when he pushed back on a scene where Wolverine wakes up in bed with a woman and puts on boxer shorts. The actor reportedly insisted that Wolverine should be commando.

But after X-Men Origins: Wolverine's mixed reception, Jackman leveraged his star power significantly to gain greater control over the character’s trajectory. Jackman also orchestrated a highly successful fake social media feud with Ryan Reynolds, which basically laid the groundwork for their highly successful pairing in Deadpool & Wolverine. 

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What do you think about Hugh Jackman passing on 007 over creative control? Let us know in the comments!