X-Men Movies: 7 Perfect Performances & 7 That Sucked

1. Hugh Jackman - Wolverine

It's now incredible to think that Hugh Jackman almost wasn't Wolverine. Remarkably, Dougray Scott was initially cast but dropped out in favour of making Mission: Impossible 2 and stage musical star Hugh Jackman stepped in late in the day.

That meant he didn't have the opportunity to prepare for the role as much as he might have liked and his Wolverine ends up looking far less... spectacular then he does in later movies. But that actually helped, because it meant Jackman had to actually perform, rather than simply flexing muscles and looking mean.

Jackman's genius in the role was his ability to balance Logan's blunt object rage with his emotional vulnerability. His psychological wounds are never far from the surface even as his bodily injuries heal immediately and despite him working best as a loner, his easy chemistry with other characters is why he would very quickly establish himself as the alpha character of the entire franchise.

Which performances in the X-Men movie universe did you love and hate the most? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.