Hugh Jackman has shared the one big challenge he faced in getting back into superhero shape for Deadpool & Wolverine.
The 55-year-old actor, who reprises Wolverine in the third Deadpool movie opposite Ryan Reynolds, told People he struggled with certain aspects of training for the role. He noted it wasn’t the physical workouts he had trouble with but the food consumption needed to build the muscle and strength of a superhero.
“When I came back to it, it was really fun, and I was thrilled. My body was a little sore at the beginning, but I was thrilled that my body was still responding. And I realized how good it is for your brain. But the hardest bit… [was] the food,” Jackman admitted, revealing he has always had difficulty bulking up for roles.
“I have to eat a lot,” he added. “For me, for my body type, I’m naturally skinny. To get the size on, that’s the hardest bit. That’s the bit that does my head in.”
Reynolds sympathized with Jackman’s struggles and acknowledged that eating to increase muscle mass is not an easy task, saying, “Yeah, the five, six meals a day, which sounds great to some people. I’m sure they’re like, ‘Well, that sounds great.’ But it’s not like the type of food that you would really necessarily enjoy.”
The results of Jackman’s hard work became apparent when he started filming fight scenes for Deadpool & Wolverine that required complex choreography and stunt performance. Reynolds said he “couldn’t believe” the physicality Jackman brought to the role and that his age had no bearing on his ability to carry it out.
“Just the sheer relentlessness that you dedicated yourself towards stunts, choreography. It was the first time I’d ever seen how invaluable a background in song and dance is when you are doing an action movie,” he said. “You hit your marks in those fight scenes with speed and confidence, the likes of which I have never seen. I don’t care if you were 25, 35, 45 or 55. It was lightning.
“Watching you do what just looked like a clinic on stunt work was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Reynolds added.
All of the evidence so far points to Deadpool & Wolverine being a movie that will pack a punch when it hits theaters on July 26. There also looks to be some Strange sorcery, unexpected cameos, and plenty of other details for fans to uncover (if they’re not too distracted by the movie’s limited-edition popcorn bucket, that is).
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.