If there's one thing Hugh Jackman excels at, it's intermittently packing on the muscle mass to play Wolverine in various X-Men-adjacent instalments. It's a process he's documented thoroughly over the years, dishing his workout regimen in the early days to uploading clips of, quite frankly, painful-looking gym sessions to get back in fighting shape.
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He's currently gearing back up again to don the claws in Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds, which is set to release in 2024. With an ability to bounce back to vascularity with Quicksilver speed, many would have been forgiven for believing Jackman had a bit of help along the way. But in an interview on HBO's Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, he cleared the air and revealed the Wolverine physique is an all-natural affair.
Wallace asks, “Over the years people have wondered, did he juice? Did he take steroids?”, and Jackman replies “No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine", adding “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’". The side effects of steroids can vary, but loosely speaking known possible reactions include acne, hair loss, an increased risk of prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. So yeah, not great stuff overall.
He then says the only helping hand he's received over the years is via the very many chickens he's consumed along the way. "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.”
The admission comes in the same interview where he revealed he's planning on dedicating six months exclusively to getting back into shape for Wolverine, saying “I’ve learned you can’t rush it. I’ve learned that it takes time. So we have six months from when I finish [The Music Man] to when I started filming. And I’m not doing any other work. I’m going to be with my family and train. That’s going to be my job for six months". Jackman has been performing in Broadway's The Music Man for over a year, with the show's last performance on 15 January. Though physically fit, he's said in the past the difference between bulking for a superhero film and getting lean to be light on your toes for the stage could not be more different.
As a final note, he once again gave a threat to the chicken population of planet earth, saying "apologies chickens. Run a mile. Start running now because I’m coming for you.”
