Hugh Jackman reveals he rejected offer to play James Bond; here's why

Hugh Jackman has become synonymous with Wolverine, a character he has portrayed in multiple films in the X-Men franchise. But there was another iconic role that he almost essayed--that of James Bond. In a recent interview, Hugh revealed that he had been offered the role of 007 but he passed it since he 'didn't want to do the same things' at that stage of his career. 

Hugh first played Wolverine in the 2000 film X-Men, reprising it in the two direct sequels, and three spinoffs over the years. He is now set to return to the role in the upcoming Deadpool 3. The role brought the Australian actor out of relative obscurity, catapulting him to global stardom. It was in the initial years of his stint as the Marvel character that he was offered to play James Bond.

In an interview with IndieWire, the actor said, "I had a look at it. I was like, 'If I'm doing that and Wolverine, I'll have no time to do anything else.' I clearly find it more interesting to play people who colour outside the lines." Although Hugh didn't specify when he was approached, the only time in the last two decades that James Bond has been recast was in 2004 when Daniel Craig replaced Pierce Brosnan for Casino Royale (2006).

Talking further about why he refused the role, Hugh added, "I didn't want to do the same things. You know, the role of the hero action star. I mean, it was the meat-and-potatoes of a lot of American films, that archetype. It was all various forms of heroic guys in tough situations. I was like, 'Uh, no. This is a problem'."

Hugh will be next seen in Florian Zeller's The Son, which also stars Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Hugh Quarshie, and Anthony Hopkins. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and will release theatrically in January 2023.