Deadpool 3 Director Explains How That Dig At Hugh Jackman’s Divorce Came About

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As a long-time fan of both Deadpool and Wolverine, I must say that the latest film, Deadpool & Wolverine, did not disappoint. The movie was filled with the signature humor we’ve come to expect from Deadpool, poking fun at everything from Marvel Studios to Hugh Jackman’s personal life.

In the style of Deadpool & Wolverine, like its previous Deadpool films, is brimming with jokes targeting a wide array of subjects and figures. Deadpool doesn’t shy away from poking fun at his former studio, Fox, his new owners at Disney, or any other topic that crosses his path. However, a joke that seemed to breach the fourth wall a bit too forcefully could have been the quip about Hugh Jackman’s real-life separation.

By September 2023, it became public knowledge that Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness were set to part ways after almost three decades of marriage, which had been considered quite stable beforehand. This news made headlines due to its unexpected nature. Nevertheless, neither party has provided many details about the divorce. However, during an interview with Jon M. Chu, director of Wicked, Shawn Levy, who has directed Deadpool and Wolverine, confirmed that Jackman found it amusing to include a joke about divorce in the film. Levy explained…

On his initial day of filming, Hugh’s character interacted directly with the camera. Ryan reacted, “Oh dear, mate, only Deadpool breaks the fourth wall.” Generally speaking, if Deadpool addresses the camera, other characters usually don’t acknowledge it. There’s a humorous moment where we refer to Logan, who is typically bare-chested, as someone who let himself go following the divorce. Deadpool is known for his equal-opportunity joking, but we made sure to run that specific joke by Hugh before sharing it with the film crew and the public.

The joke regarding Jackman’s divorce isn’t the sole instance where humor is used at his expense; there are other instances too. However, this particular joke is the most personal and, given Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s close relationship, a simple word from Hugh could have easily halted the joke if he found it inappropriate or uncomfortable.

Indeed, the humor in that joke has taken on a new significance since Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, his co-stars from the Broadway show The Music Man, were reported to have started their relationship during the show’s run, both of them being married at the time. Interestingly, this revelation comes after the release of Deadpool & Wolverine (currently streaming with a Disney+ subscription), which features a joke about Logan performing in The Music Man.

Chu observed that since the camera angle doesn’t show Hugh Jackman’s face in the scene, it remains unclear whether Logan responds to the divorce joke at all. As Levy explains, this is intentional as the narrative aims to suggest that when Deadpool addresses the audience (breaking the fourth wall), no one else can hear him.

In a relaxed manner, it can be rephrased as: Jackman seemed unfazed by the jokes concerning his divorce, and it appears everyone else was comfortable with most of the comments made. It’s been reported that only one joke involving Deadpool and Wolverine needed to be omitted at Disney’s request.

It’s intriguing to note that Hugh Jackman attempted to make Wolverine engage with the camera too. Such a scene could have added an unique twist to the film, possibly even including some witty banter directed at Ryan Reynolds to maintain the balance.

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2024-12-20 19:07