Hugh Jackman who has made his name synonymous with Wolverine was almost about to get his hands on another prominent Marvel project. The Logan fame was about to be cast as Frank Castle aka The Punisher in the 2004 movie. The role that was taken over by Thomas Jane could have established Jackman as a unique Marvel actor with two superhero roles attached to his name.
Hugh Jackman was almost The Punisher
It was not the first time, the X-Men actor was seen missing out on a major role. He also turned down James Bond in Casino Royale and other movies like The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago. However, the responses received by the 2004 movie suggested that Hugh Jackman might have missed the role for good.
Why did Hugh Jackman turn down The Punisher?
Thomas Jane in The Punisher
Before starting its new era as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superhero company used to make many different types of movies based on the characters. Such a project was 2004’s Thomas Jane and John Travolta starrer The Punisher. The movie was forgettable at its best and failed to create any mark on the box office or in the hearts of the fans.
It can be stated that Hugh Jackman not taking the role and only establishing him as the Wolverine was a pleasant move. The Punisher ended up with a mere $54 million and a bunch of negative reviews. When a reboot titled Punisher: War Zone starring the late Ray Stevenson was released, it also turned out to be a disaster in the same way. As for Jackman, he rejected the role due to his prior commitment to Van Helsing.
Even though Van Helsing also ended up with unfavorable reviews to its name, the situation was far better than the Marvel movie Hugh Jackman turned down. Following the failed attempt to reboot the story of Frank Castle with Punisher: War Zone, he was spotted in Netflix’s Marvel Universe. The introduction of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Netflix’s Daredevil Season 2 changed the game and he went on to receive a solo television series of his own.
On the other hand, Hugh Jackman also established himself as Logan without any unremovable strain on his career.
The fans can’t wait to watch Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Hugh Jackman raised a roar among the fans when he announced his return as the character in the upcoming Deadpool 3. The R-rated Gorefest will present Ryan Reynolds’ “Merc With A Mouth” with the Adamantium-clawed mutant on a multiversal journey that will reportedly lead to Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
The addition of Wolverine presents another level of thrill to the already amazing setting of the MCU flick that is reported to adapt the storyline of the Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe comics. The set photos have revealed that the movie is expected to bid a proper farewell to the existing 20th Century Fox’s Marvel Universe.
Along with the confirmed return of Hugh Jackman as well as most of the OG cast from the first two parts, there are also rumors of several other actors returning. One of the major rumors is that of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra.
Some rumors also added to Taylor Swift’s Marvel debut. But as the fans know, Marvel is known for these tricks and everything should be taken with a grain of salt before we get the official updates.
Deadpool 3 is expected to be released on May 3, 2024.
Source: Screen Rant
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Hugh Jackman missed the chance of playing two Marvel actors at the same time as he turned down The Punisher which went to Thomas Jane. Read More