Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Jackman was cast in a role that changed the arc of his career, becoming Wolverine in the 2000 movie “X-Men.” However, he wasn’t the first actor chosen for the part.
The role originally went to Dougray Scott of “Ever After” fame, who had to withdraw from the mutant mayhem because of his schedule on “Mission: Impossible II.”
Jackman has gone on to incarnate Logan a.k.a. Wolverine in nine films and will again portray the sharp-clawed superhero in this week’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Scott, meanwhile, joined a long line of alternative universe Hollywood casting stories. Here’s more on him and a few other actors who missed out on playing characters that ended up leaving their marks on pop culture:
Scott told the Daily Telegraph in 2020 that when production on “Mission: Impossible II” went longer than had been scheduled, star Tom Cruise insisted he stick around to finish the film. “For whatever reason he said I couldn’t (do the role),” Scott told the publication. Calling Cruise “a very powerful guy,” Scott added that “other people were doing everything to make it work.”
Scott said he also suffered an injury while filming “Mission II” that threatened to delay things further. The domino-like chain of events opened a door for Jackman.
Scott, however, bears no ill will toward the Australian star.
“I love what Hugh did with (the Wolverine role). He’s a lovely guy,” he said.
“The Matrix” is considered among the best science-fiction films, but at least two big stars were considered for the lead role of Neo before it eventually went to Keanu Reeves.
Will Smith explained in a video he posted to YouTube in 2019 that he was hesitant to do more work in the sci-fi genre after 1996’s “Independence Day” because he “didn’t want to be the ‘alien movie guy.’” (Steven Spielberg, who executive produced “Men In Black,” succeeded in convincing Smith to do that 1997 movie after Smith initially passed on it.)
When “The Matrix” came around and directing pair Lana and Lilly Wachowski pitched Smith the project, he balked. He said he had trouble picturing the Wachowskis’ vision of Neo being frozen mid-air during a jump sequence – an example of their now-classic “bullet time” cinematography that was introduced in “The Matrix.”
Smith went on to say how he decided to do the movie “Wild Wild West” – which turned out to be a critical and commercial miss – instead of “The Matrix.”
“I’m not proud of it,” he said in his video, conceding that Reeves “was perfect” in the role.
As for the other star who said “No” to Neo? Brad Pitt, who said in early 2020 that he “took the red pill” instead.