While comic book movies are everywhere, there was a time when these type of blockbusters were a major financial risk. Case in point: Bryan Singer’s original X-Men movies, which star Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He’s able to take up the claws again in Deadpool 3, which is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies. And Jackman had a funny response after being asked about using steroids to get Wolverine ripped.
During his original tenure as Logan/Wolverine, Hugh Jackman was known for getting super ripped for the role. And given this transformation and his swole appearance, some folks out there have wondered if the 54 year-old actor used steroids at any time to help achieve this appearance. CNN’s Chris Wallace recently asked him that very question, with the Oscar nominee responding honestly with:
No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine. I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, ‘I don’t love it that much.’ So no, I just did it the old school way. And I tell you, I’ve eaten more chickens — I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world. Literally the karma is not good for me. If the deity has anything related to chickens, I’m in trouble.
Some points were made. When actors get into bodybuilding for roles, it requires more than just working out. One also has to consume an insane amount of calories in order to properly build muscle. And while denying any use of steroids while playing Wolverine, Jackman did admit that the amount of chicken he had to consume would make any vegetarian or vegan very disappointed in him. And he joked that if chicken-related karma is being weighed in the afterlife, he’s pretty much screwed. Sounds like a lot of chickens.
Hugh Jackman’s comments to CNN help to peel back the curtain on what it’s actually like getting into superheroic shape for a comic book movie. He had plenty of shirtless sequences throughout his many years playing Wolverine, which means the process of getting ripped ahead of filming was repeated a number of times. And he’s likely going to dive back in ahead of filming Deadpool 3 with his famous frenemy Ryan Reynolds.
This discussion about steroids comes as more and more athletes and public figures have admitted to using these types of enhancements when putting on muscle. But per Hugh Jackman’s comments, it sounds like the side effects scared him off from considering this. Instead he was left to put a ton of hours in at the gym, as well as consume an ungodly amount of chicken. You can’t deny that the fitness and nutrition regimen worked, just look at how massive Jackman was in 2013’s The Wolverine.
More like Hugh Jacked-man amirite? While he’s currently keeping busy performing in The Music Man on Broadway, he’s once again going to be stepping back into his signature role for Shawn Levy’s Deadpool 3. It’s unclear exactly what that developing project will include, but it will seemingly protect the emotional ending of James Mangold’s Logan. After that movie hit theaters Jackman announced he was hanging up the claws for good, but luckily he’s recently done an about face.
Deadpool 3 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on November 8th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
