The recasting of the role of James Bond has been a hot topic lately. It’s a time-honored tradition in Hollywood. As the era of the current actor entrusted with the Bond mantle starts to draw to a close, people start wondering, “Who’ll be next?” Daniel Craig is set to appear in his fourth outing as 007 when Spectre comes out later this year, and the prevailing thought is that there’ll be a new actor taking over within the next few years. Recently, the topic attracted some controversy when 007 novelist Anthony Horowitz said Idris Elba would be “too street” to play the suave spy. 

Elba’s name has been floated around by fans lately as a potential candidate, but there’s someone else out there who’d like to throw his name into the hat. In fact, his name was in that very hat back in 2002 but he turned down the opportunity at the time. The actor in question is Aussie superstar Hugh Jackman, who was about to start filming Bryan Singer’s X2: X-Men United when he was approached about taking over for Pierce Brosnan. Seems that now, 13 years later, Jackman has had a change of heart.

“At the time, I was just about to do X-Men 2, and I was like, ‘Ah, I don’t think it’s the right time,’” he told Australian TV show The Program. But now, at the age of 46 and nearing his self-imposed retirement from the X-Men franchise and the role of Wolverine, Jackman said, “I’d seriously consider it” if that opportunity knocked again.

What do you think? Does Jackman have what it takes?

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter