The casting of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the 2000 X-Men film seems almost predestined now. His gruff intensity and stocky build perfectly embodies the clawed mutant. While Jackman has perhaps built a fortune with the iconic role, it wasn’t just his efforts alone that landed him with the role initially.
Tom Cruise unknowingly played a crucial role in landing Jackman with the career-changing opportunity. Cruise was the one who convinced Dougray Scott, his ‘Mission: Impossible II’ co-star, to give up the the role of Wolverine. Here’s what happened.
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“Tom Cruise Didn’t Let Me Do It”: Dougray Scott On Turning Down The Role Of Wolverine
Dougray Scott would have been the Wolverine that we know today instead of Hugh Jackman if it wasn’t for Tom Cruise’s interference. Fortunately enough for Jackman, Scott was busy shooting ‘Mission: Impossible II’ when he was chosen to play Wolverine. Handling two major projects together became a challenge for Scott, leading to production delays and a lot of scheduling conflicts.
While initially optimistic about juggling both projects, Scott ultimately had to choose between the two. Here’s where things got interesting. Tom Cruise, a powerful figure in Hollywood at the time, played a part in Scott’s decision. Scott claims Cruise “didn’t let” him take on the Wolverine role and told him to prioritize finishing ‘Mission: Impossible II’.
“Tom Cruise didn’t let me do it. We were doing Mission Impossible and he was like, ‘You’ve got to stay and finish the film, and I said I will, but I’ll go do that as well.’ For whatever reason, he said I couldn’t. He was a very powerful guy,” Scott stated during an old interview with Fandomwire for his then-upcoming film Sulpher and White.
Whether it was a firm order or a strong suggestion, the result was the same: Scott bowed out of X-Men. However, despite the lost opportunity, Dougray is all praises for Jackman. “I love what Hugh did with it. He’s a lovely guy,” he said of the actor who took over after him.
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Tom Cruise’s Interference Might Have Been A Blessing In Disguise
Tom Cruise thus unknowingly opened up the door to fame for Hugh Jackman. Jackman had actually auditioned for Wolverine months earlier but hadn’t heard back. With Scott out of the picture, the X-Men casting team revisited Jackman, impressed by his initial audition. The rest, as they say, is history.
Moreover, it was Jackman who made Wolverine his own with his exceptional performance. He added layers and emotions to the rough character that many people could relate to. The nine-movie arc that he created is regarded as one of the best performances of a superhero character. Even the beloved Iron Man’s death was inspired by Jackman’s film ‘Logan‘.
All in all, while Hugh Jackman is the one to have breathed life into Wolverine’s character, it perhaps would not have been possible without Tom Cruise.
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