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Although Russell Crowe debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zeus inThor: Love and Thunder, he earlier had a chance to appear as a superhero inX-Menbut turned down the role. Director Bryan Singer approached Crowe to play Wolverine in the film, a role thatThe Nice Guysactor refused for a weird reason. Crowe didn’t want to be typecast as a ‘wolf-man’ character, as he had previously been associated with a wolf in his role as Maximus inGladiator.
The New Zealand actor went on to win an Oscar for Best Actor for his role inGladiator. After turning down the Wolverine role, Crowe committed to the film,A Beautiful Mind, which won the Best Picture Oscar and earned him another Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Also Read:Ridley Scott Attempted To Hide His Subpar 21-Page Gladiator Script From Lead Actor Russell Crowe Who Claimed It Was “So Bad”
Russell Crowe Turned Down A Superhero Role For An Unusual Reason
Russell Crowe’s Oscar-worthy roles in the early 2000s came at the cost of turning down other significant roles. Crowe received offers to appear in movies helmed by esteemed directors includingPeter JacksonandBryan Singer. Singer personally pressured theRobin Hoodactor to accept the role of Wolverine in his film, but he politely declined without revealing a reason at the time.
It wasn’t until Crowe co-hostedFitzy and Wipparadio show on Nova FM that he finally disclosed his why he turned down Wolverine. Firstly, theLes Misérablesactor was not a fan of comic books, and he was not very aware of the character. Secondly, and quite strangely, he was worried about being typecast as a“Wolf-Man”. Crowe shared that his character Maximus inGladiatorhad a wolf companion and a wolf insignia on his armor.
While ridiculous,The Insideractor believed it to be a big deal at the time. TheAmerican Gangsteractor shared withFitzy and Wippashow (via news.com.au):
“Bryan, the director, was a friend at the time, and he was really putting the pressure on. It didn’t feel right at the time, plus I’ve never been a comic person. If you remember, Maximus has a wolf at the centre of his cuirass, and he has a wolf as his companion … which I thought was going to be a bigger deal [at the time]. So I said no, because I didn’t want to be ‘wolfy’, like ‘Mr Wolf’.”
However, his concerns turned out to be for nothing as the significance of the wolf inGladiatorwas cut down during editing. Despite rejecting Singer’s offer, theNoahactor suggested his friendHugh Jackmanfor the role, who ultimately became one of the biggest assets of theX-Menfranchise. Jackman is set to make his MCU debut withDeadpool 3and he will reportedly appear inAvengers: Secret Wars.
Also Read:“I’ll do it – I’ll burn it to the ground”: Ridley Scott Found Divine Intervention on Gladiator Set While Filming Iconic Opening Battle With Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe Also Turned Down The Role Of Aragorn
Peter Jackson and the studio repeatedly pursuedDaniel Day-Lewisto star as the heir to Gondor, Aragorn, inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. However, when he firmly refused, the studio turned to their next choice, Russell Crowe. While Crowe was interested in the role, scheduling conflicts withA Beautiful Mindprevented theUnhingedactor from committing to an 18-month production. According to Crowe, Jackson was also not entirely on board with the idea.
Another account also suggests a financial reason behind Crowe turning down the role that eventually went toViggo Mortensen. The studio, faced with a budget crunch, offered Crowe a profit share of 10% instead of an upfront salary, which theMan of Steelactor was unwilling to accept. Crowe later revealed that he regretted his decision to turn down the role.
Also Read:“F—k me, that was close”: Russell Crowe’s Reaction to Getting Nearly Mauled by a Real Tiger Would Have Left Hardened Roman Gladiators Awestruck
TheX-Menmovies are now available for streaming on Disney+.The Lord of the Ringstrilogy is now available for streaming on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3020
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
