James Bond fantasy casting has always been popular with fans, especially when the time comes to put someone new in the role after one actor's retirement. We're seeing this now with Daniel Craig stepping away from Bond following one last performance in last year's No Time to Die. Inevitably, James Bond 26 will be made, but it remains to be seen when production will begin or who will ultimately be cast as the next 007.
In years past, Hugh Jackman is one name that's come up a lot with fans discussing who might be good for the role of James Bond. In a new interview with IndieWire, Jackman reveals that this is something that may have actually happened if not for his casting as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise. After debuting as the clawed mutant in 2000, Jackman would end the character's story with 2017's Logan, though he'll reprise the role one last time in the upcoming sequel Deadpool 3. Needless to say, the Wolverine role was something that was going to take up a lot of Jackman's time for years to come.
Meanwhile, Pierce Brosnan would wrap up his run as Bond with 2002's Die Another Day, formally announcing his retirement from the role in 2004. That left the franchise producers on a hunt for their next Bond for the 2006 reboot, Casino Royale, which ultimately went to Daniel Craig. Before landing on Craig, however, the role was floated to Jackman, who was still pretty early into his run as Wolverine and anticipating much more to come. For that reason, he quickly lost interest in James Bond, as he didn't want to spend the next however many years playing just the same two characters.
As Jackman explains:
"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 film, that archetype. It was all various forms of heroic guys in tough situations. I was like, ‘Uh, no. This is a problem.’ ... I had a look at it [the James Bond offer]. 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 color outside the lines.”
Who Will Be the Next James Bond?
It remains unclear who the next James Bond actor will be, though there will be someone cast in the role at some point. Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said that the search for the next 007 is in the "early stages," meaning it could still be a "couple of years" before we find out who that person will be.
“The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off," Wilson said in September. "And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing?' Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].”
James Bond 26 doesn't yet have a release date.