After the success of Wolverine, Chris Claremont's 1980's comic book series, it was imagined that Bob Hoskins would take on the titular role in an X-Men film - but as 20 years of Hugh Jackman has shown, Hoskins would not have been the right choice. Chris Claremont, the writer of the 1982 Wolverine comics, said that in 1988 it seemed perfectly rational to cast Hoskins as Logan, citing the harshness and brutality that he portrayed as perfect compliments to Wolverine’s character at the time. However, it wouldn’t be until 2000 when X-Men – particularly Wolverine – would become a blockbuster franchise, with Hugh Jackman as the star.
Hoskins was favored by Claremont, and he pitched the idea of an X-Men film adaptation in the early '90s to James Cameron, but the project never got off the ground. By the time X-Men was put into production in the late '90s, Hoskins had long been forgotten, and Claremont and others were exploring other actors for the character. First, Dougray Scott was confirmed for the character, but due to complications with another project and a shoulder injury, he was forced to step away. It was only at the last minute before production when Jackman was offered the role, but it turned out to be a lucrative change, as Hugh Jackman's Wolverine permanently changed the superhero genre - and the character of Wolverine himself.
Wolverine is described in Claremont's comics as a feral beast standing 5'3'' weighing around 300 pounds. Being a 5'6'', burly man with the talent to portray intense toughness and rage onscreen, Hoskins mirrored the version of Wolverine that had been described in the comics. On paper, Hoskins checked every box for what the character required, but because the project never came to fruition, Hoskins never had the chance to wield the claws. Nearly a decade after Claremont's initial pitch in 1990, X-Men went into production, and Bryan Singer opted to forego Wolverine's comic description by casting Hugh Jackman - creating an entirely new image for Logan, and taking the franchise in a direction that Hoskin's role wouldn't have been able to replicate.
Jackman would completely transform the character in the X-Men films. Instead of a short, feral animal, Wolverine became a tall, chiseled hero. A complete 180 from Hoskins, Jackman turned Wolverine turned into a mutant with a new power: sex appeal. With each new installment of the X-Men franchise, Jackman's Wolverine continued to evolve, packing on more muscle mass and serious definition. By the time X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released in 2009, Jackman had solidified the image of Wolverine as a shredded, angry beast who was as intimidating as he was a product of sex appeal. This Herculean physique, coupled with Jackman's height and good looks, propelled the success of the franchise as audiences flocked to theaters to watch Wolverine's appearance (and muscles) change and evolve with each movie.
This is not to say that Hoskins would not have given a good performance as Wolverine. He certainly would have given a performance that was appropriate to what the comics described. However, as Jackman's version of Wolverine became a sex symbol within popular culture. With Hoskins lacking the traditional leading-man masculinity by being a shorter, stockier individual, it's likely that audiences wouldn't have been as eager to return to watch Wolverine onscreen. With Jackman, the franchise capitalized on the sex appeal brought by Wolverine, helping it become one of the highest-grossing film series of all time. Had Hoskins taken the role instead, the series may still have done well, but surely not to the same level.
Bob Hoskins, talented as he was, wouldn't have made for an equally successful version of Wolverine if cast. Given that he was imagined for the role in the 1980s, off the back of the then-new comic books, it seemed logical to cast Hoskins in the role. He matched the height, appearance, and aggression that was needed to showcase Wolverine’s rage. In retrospect, however, had Hoskins taken the role, and Jackman never cast, the X-Men franchise would likely not have succeeded to the same extent. X-Men wouldn't be the same without the contribution of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and creating a taller, leaner, and more handsome hero that audiences can't get enough of.