Scott Adkins cast in ‘Wolverine’

Rising martial arts star Scott Adkins, who recently traded fists with Jean-Claude Van Damme in THE SHEPHERD will be one of a number of adversaries taking on Hugh Jackman in his big-screen return as Marvel’s Wolverine.

Moviehole.net has confirmed that Adkins is off to Australia where he will play Weapon 11, a mutant among many assigned to take out Wolverine in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE.

The film is now shooting under the direction of Gavin Hood, who previously won the 2006 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for TSOTSI.

Written by David Benioff (TROY) and scripted by Marc Guggenheim (ELI STONE), the film is a spin-off from the previous X-MEN movies that focuses on the ever-popular Wolverine character. As the title suggests, it is an origin story that depicts how he goes through the Weapon X program, the source of his adamantium claws and his fuzzy memory. Wolverine also goes hunting for Victor Creed, aka Sabertooth, the man who killed his girlfriend.

A number of other recognizable Marvel characters make an appearance. BLADE TRINITY’s Ryan Reynolds co-stars as Deadpool and Taylor Kitsch plays Gambit. Curiously, Wolverine’s girlfriend in the film is named Silver Fox (Lynn Collins). That name should immediately register for kung fu buffs as one of the more memorable alter egos for popular superkicker Hwang Jang-lee.

Adkins is a busy man. Aside from battling Wolverine in 2009, he’s joining THE SHEPHERD action choreographer J.J. Perry in another actioner, THE TOURNAMENT. He’s also co-starring in STAG NIGHT, a period thriller and may possibly re-team with action director Isaac Florentine for UNDISPUTED 3.