Hugh Jackman only played Wolverine after Tom Cruise blocked his Mission: Impossible II co-star Dougray Scott from assuming the role, Scott has claimed.

The Scottish actor was signed up to play Wolverine in the original 2000 X-Men film, but had to back out at the last minute as production on the Mission: Impossible sequel overran.

“Tom Cruise didn’t let me do it,” Scott told The Daily Telegraph. “We were doing Mission: Impossible and he was like, ‘You’ve got to stay and finish the film’ and I said I will, but I’ll go and do that as well.

“For whatever reason he said I couldn’t.”

Scott continued, “He was a very powerful guy. Other people were doing everything to make it work.”

The casting swap has since gone down in filmmaking lore, with Jackman’s casting transforming him from an unknown Australian theatre actor and into a bona fide movie star.

Scott was an up-and-coming actor at the time with roles in Ever After and Deep Impact.

Despite their varying trajectories since 2000, Scott said he holds no ill will towards Jackman.

“I love what Hugh did with it,” he said. “He’s a lovely guy.”