The name’s Jackman. Hugh Jackman. But it very well could be "James Bond," if comments the Aussie actor made on the record recently come to fruition.
Hugh Jackman is very busy preparing to once again play Wolverine in a sequel that he has determined will be his final turn as the mutant hero. Recently, during an interview with the Australian show The Program, Jackman was asked about one day taking over the mantle of legendary super spy 007, and the A-lister admitted:
I’d seriously consider it."
Jackman wasn’t just blowing smoke. In the same interview, he revealed that he was approached by the producers of the James Bond series before they went with Daniel Craig, and that he passed on the role because he was prepping to – you guessed it – once again play Wolverine (his signature role). Jackman says that it was extremely difficult passing up on the opportunity to slip into Bond’s tux, and if given the chance again, he might not have the fortitude to walk away.
Could it happen? Let’s talk this through. Daniel Craig, the man currently occupying the driver’s seat of Bond’s Aston Martin, has hinted lately that his time as 007 is drawing to a close. He has said in the press that he has a life, and it’s time that he started living it. While he has Spectre arriving in theaters in November, plans to extend that storyline repeatedly have been cut short. We once heard that Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes would entertain filming two Bond films back to back to continue Craig’s plotline as Bond, but that obviously has not happened.
At the same time, there has been a growing push – in the public, if not quite behind the scenes – for Idris Elba to take over for Daniel Craig as James Bond. Elba has been diplomatic, but there’s no denying that 007 fans (or, a loud minority of them) want to see more diversity in the franchise… and in the main role.
What works against Hugh Jackman taking over for Bond? Well, his age, for starters. He’s currently 46, is turning 47 in weeks, and has at least one more Wolverine sequel on his radar before he can entertain the notion of taking on a different franchise. He also recently attached his name to a production of The Odyssey. At the same time, Jackman is a tireless, seemingly ageless performer who no doubt would plunge into the role of 007 with his trademark gusto. Could he do it? Undoubtedly. Should the producers let him? That’s another matter altogether.
Daniel Craig can be seen as James Bond in Spectre, in theaters on November 6. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
