- Vinnie Jones, known for his role as Juggernaut in X-Men, declined to reprise his role in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine due to budget constraints and the physical and mental strain of wearing the Juggernaut suit.
- Jones had a negative experience filming X-Men: The Last Stand, where his character's role was significantly reduced after script changes and the departure of the original director.
- Despite being a fan favorite, Jones felt his character, Juggernaut, was diluted in the final film, leading to his disappointment with the portrayal.
With Deadpool & Wolverine now highly anticipated, let’s talk about our wishes, regrets and questions. One of the most beloved characters in X-Men is Juggernaut – an antagonist who possesses incredible strength and is almost impossible to beat physically. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Juggernaut – whose alter ego is Cain Marko – was played by the inimitable Vinnie Jones and was a CGI character in Deadpool 2. Fans of Vinnie Jones have lamented that, despite being offered the role in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, the X-Men actor said no to reprising the role, claiming that they don’t have the budget for it and more. Are his reasons valid, or is there more to this rejection than meets the eye?
Vinnie Jones’ Bad Experience on X-Men
In a wide-ranging interview for Yahoo UK’s ‘Role Recall’ while doing press for Netflix’s new series, The Gentlemen, Vinnie Jones touches on several topics. He opens up about how he came to be an actor after a successful soccer career (Jones was a member of the “Crazy Gang”, with whom he won an FA Cup final in 1988), saying it all started when his friends Matthew Vaughn and Guy Ritchie asked him to do a cameo in the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Even though he was still playing football then, acting in this movie led to him being cast in Gone in 60 Seconds, which made him decide to retire from football and pursue acting full-time.
After responding to other questions, Jones discusses his experience filming X-Men: The Last Stand, revealing that he was initially supposed to have a much more significant role in the movie, but the script was changed after signing his contract. This was after Matthew Vaughn had left the project after, per Variety, discovering that the executives had planned to sign Halle Berry onto the project using a fake script, which they’d later trash after bringing her on board. “I thought, if you’re going to do that to an Oscar-winning actress who plays Storm, I quit”. Because Jones had already signed on, he couldn’t back out, but he wished he had because he came to be later very disappointed with how his character, Juggernaut, was portrayed in the final film:
“The director brought in so many other moving parts and so many other actors that mine was the one that got diluted, the Juggernaut got diluted, and I lost all interest quite early because I knew they were ticking me along, you know what I mean… And I was very upset, really, because it was such a movie, such a big stage, and [I] became an extra. That’s what happened. Do you know what I mean?”
Spicy. Well, the actor doesn’t end there but goes on to also talk about the experience of wearing the Juggernaut suit on set and how that, too, contributed to his decision not to take the role: “Funny enough, I just got asked to do Deadpool, the new one that’s coming out now, and I spoke the director, and I just said, ‘It’s such a drama putting that suit on mentally and physically’. I mean, it had its mental toll as well because you’re in it, and you can’t do anything all day, you can only drink through a straw. So, we couldn’t strike the deal for Deadpool [& Wolverine] but I mean, Deadpool’s, my favourite movie of f**** all time, more or less. I really wanted to do it but they didn’t have the budget to put me in the suit.”
Why Wouldn’t Vinnie Jones Want To Be In Deadpool & Wolverine?
Actors make their choices and pick the roles they want all the time, especially when they’ve paid their dues, built up a good body of work and can say no to things that don’t tickle their fancy. In the case of Vinnie Jones and his decision to walk away from Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s hard to shake the feeling that there’s more at play.
To be clear, this is us having fun with this on behalf of all the fans who wanted Jones in the movie. This is not an attempt to cast aspersions on the star or doubt his credibility. He said what he said, and most people won’t have a problem with it. However, mentioning the mental and physical strain of putting on the suit and the lack of budget doesn’t make sense. Is it about the suit being an issue, or is it about the budget? Vinnie Jones is known as a “hardman” going back to his time as a tough, no-nonsense soccer player. In a piece about him, The Guardian wrote this in the introduction – a brilliant way to paint a portrait of the man:
“Vinnie Jones has spent his adult life being defined by two images. The first is a photograph taken on the pitch during his days as a professional footballer where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he reaches behind him and grabs Paul Gascoigne’s testicles as hard as he can. The second is a promotional photo for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he holds a pair of shotguns behind his head like a crucifix.”
So, we’re not talking about someone who needs to hide what he means, except that some people have a different opinion of him, seeming to suggest some dishonesty. In the Yahoo video’s comments section, an outraged viewer, @mrdickdynamite, described Vinnie Jones as ‘a known liar’, even asserting that there’s ‘no way he’d turn it down if he “loved” Deadpool‘. His final statement takes another shot at Jones’ trustworthiness, “The same man said he signed a 7-movie deal with Fox after X3 the Last Stand“. Is this just pure trolling, or should we read between the lines?
In the final analysis, regardless of what I, the many disappointed fans, or even @mrdickdynamite may think, these are the joys of having options. While we’re sad Vinnie Jones won’t be in Deadpool & Wolverine—as he would have been a fun addition to the cast—I’m not sure we’re buying into prosthetics and wardrobe as the reason why one would turn down a role like that. There’s more to it, but Vinnie Jones doesn’t owe us an explanation.
Do you think the physical and mental strain of the suit is the reason why we won’t see Vinnie Jones in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Deadpool & Wolverine |
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Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy. |
Studio: Marvel Studios |
Running Time: |
Release Date: July 6, 2024 |
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Josh Brolin |
Director: Shawn Levy |
Writers: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy |
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy |
Box Office: |