The first relatively unknown theatre actor cast as an XMan (although he was actually replacement casting, as the original actor got tied up with the movie he was making) was Hugh Jackman
It looks like he ran away with the whole franchise, even if he was not a popular choice with fans before the movie came out -- he was a foot taller and did not wear yellow spandex as did the comic book Wolverine. What worked is that nobody knew he was singing "Oh What A Beautiful Mornin' " before he was chosen by the XMEN producer who saw him in the musical and fans loved his movie portrayal of a favorite comic book character.
Maybe this proves that theatre actors have a remarkable versatility that gives them an advantage.
So, good luck to Ben Walker!
Btw, the role he is rebooting was originally played by Kelsey Grammer on screen. He also joins other theatre stalwarts who have worked or will be working in an XMEN movie, such as Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen
Updated On: 6/20/10 at 08:38 PM