Hugh Jackman made the role of Wolverine even more iconic than it already was thanks to the comics and the animated projects. It was his live-action version that might as well have revolutionized the superhero genre. He managed to bring to life the character in such a unique way that there would be no one else who fans would be able to imagine otherwise.
There were many actors before him who were considered for the role. However, the way he gave his performance, it was obvious that no other actor would have been able to do it the same way he did. Some of the biggest actors had their eyes on the role but, none could live up to Jackman’s level.
Johnny Depp Was Going To Become Wolverine Instead Of Hugh Jackman
From Keanu Reeves to Edward Norton, the biggest actors were on the list of becoming Wolverine. While it is safe to say that not all the choices were ideal or even good for that matter of fact, some almost came close to taking up the role. Johnny Depp was a candidate as well. His may not be the name one would think of when asked about Wolverine. Considering that often he is cast in the most unique roles.
These roles sometimes work out and sometimes they don’t. The same would have happened with the role of Logan. Although not comparing to Hugh Jackman, since he was yet to be cast in the role; it would have been ideal to see the actor be cast in the role of perhaps Nightcrawler. The physical attributes themselves would have played a role considering that the build of the actor would have quite literally signified Wolverine as a whole. This became necessarily important because otherwise, no one would have taken the character seriously, especially considering how the response had been after Batman and Robin was a massive flop.
Other Actors Who Were Willing To Become Wolverine
Hugh Jackman earned a total of $100 Million for his role as Wolverine across every X-Men movie he has been a part of. The fame he earned as well as the contribution he had towards popularizing the character more than they already were played a big role in who he is as an actor now.
Actors like Gary Sinise, Thomas Jane, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Viggo Mortensen, and Aaron Eckhart were all considered for the role. The list was a long one and included some of the biggest Hollywood stars who maintain their glory even now, such as Reeves, Russell Crowe, as well as Depp. Hugh Jackman managed to surpass all of them and stand as Wolverine, winning him a world record as well. He is the only actor to play a superhero for over two decades, making it the longest duration to date.
