Ahead of his MCU debut as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, Hugh Jackman hinted that his hero will be bigger than he's ever been upon his arrival.
Jackman has always been known for the incredible physical shape he gets in for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men movies, giving his best effort over the years to make sure he's in peak physical condition to play the Marvel hero. Now, he looks to regain that super-powered physique for the MCU's Deadpool 3, joining the ranks of Marvel's most bulked-up leading men from recent years.
Jackman is looking to get back into peak superhero shape for the first time since he originally hung up the claws after 2017's Logan, as both he and co-star Ryan Reynolds have already hit the gym in preparations for their second movie together.
And if everything goes according to plan for the veteran Marvel star, MCU fans should be more than impressed with his physical transformation when he officially joins the Marvel Studios family.
Hugh Jackman Teases Bigger Wolverine than Ever
During an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Deadpool 3 star Hugh Jackman shared some insight into how big he'll be in his next Marvel appearance.
Colbert teased Jackman for being "human size" after leaving the role initially, although Jackman made it clear that he's going to regain his size, noting that he'll "be bigger than ever" when he joins the MCU:
Stephen Colbert: “Is it just me, because I saw you after you stopped doing Wolverine and you got human size again. Is it-- you look a little bumped up here? Are you coming up a little bit?”
Hugh Jackman: “What are you talking about?”
Colbert: “Are you, like, excited to be big again, or are you dreading it? Even your lovely wife Deb said it’s ridiculous how big he got. Are you going to get that big again?”
Jackman: “Of course. Come on, man. It’s Wolverine. I’m gonna be bigger than ever.”
The two shared a laugh over how many chickens will be killed as he preps for this role, with Jackman explaining that he "was eating 4,500 calories a day" during his run on Broadway performing in Music Man. Now, he looks to increase that to about 6,000 calories per day for Wolverine as he gets set to bulk up once more:
Colbert: “What do you have to do? How much-- How many, like, chicken carcasses are we going to find in your green room after this?
Jackman: “It’s 6,000 calories. It’s about 6,000 calories a day.”
Colbert: “What are you supposed to do, 2,000?”
Jackman: “I think at the moment, I’m building up. I’m four and a half, five thousand calories. I wore a heartrate monitor, and I said, ‘I need to know what I’m working with here,’ because I’m trying to bulk up. So I burned 1,500 calories in [The Music Man] eight times a week…. I was eating 4,500 calories a day. And I’m sorry for the audiences in the front row. I’m sorry for my cast. I’m sorry for my wife. Because it’s not pretty. And now I’m just eating and training.”
To close, he admitted that this causes problems for his costumes on Music Man, revealing that he split his pants on three separate occasions on stage while he trains for his Marvel comeback:
Colbert: “What does it do to your costume designers as the Music Man, if you’re bulking up while playing this leggy dancer?”
Jackman: “I split my pants three times.”
How Big will Jackman Get for Deadpool 3?
Physical training has always been a huge part of the job for Marvel's top name, and it continues to be the case as the Multiverse Saga introduces new stories and new heroes. And while this was sure to be the case with Hugh Jackman anyways, his recent quotes potentially set the stage for a more imposing version of Wolverine than any of his past movies with 20th Century Fox.
The actor already teased that he won't have to change the way he plays Wolverine upon entering the MCU, and with that same "angrier, acerbic, grumpy," he'll be doing everything he can to look the part as well.
Once his run on Broadway finishes, he'll spend the better part of the next six months dedicating his time to training and getting in shape, promising that he'll be an even more imposing force this time around even at 54 years old.
At the end of 2022, Ryan Reynolds teased that production would begin just ahead of Summer 2023 with filming likely lasting through the end of the year. This should give Jackman plenty of time to attain that level of physical fitness he discussed, and based on his latest interview, he's off to a great start with plenty of time left to reach his goals.
Deadpool 3 will debut in theaters on November 8, 2024.
