Was Hugh Jackman almost fired from X-Men? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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The start of his superhero journey was anything but smooth. Between creative clashes, wild hairstyles, and a chilly morning routine, Hugh Jackman’s X-Men debut in 2000 had significant hiccups.
One of the early snags? His Wolverine hair. Yes, the untamed, comic-book-inspired ‘do wasn’t a hit immediately. Jackman once joked that while the look works on screen, in real life, “it looks ridiculous… like Elvis is leaving the building.” And someone on set agreed. “Three weeks into shooting, a crew member said it straight—Elvis vibes.” That led director Bryan Singer to halt production and demand a hair revamp. Jackman admits, “I watch that first movie, and you can see my hair changing—sometimes nearly flat.”
But the hair drama was just one part of Jackman’s rocky start. Behind the scenes, tensions rose between the actor and the producers, with creative differences threatening his role. Jackman, determined to nail the character, had to prove he was best at what he did.
Wolverine’s rage wasn’t just for show, though. Jackman channeled it in a way that felt almost therapeutic. Before stepping on set every morning, he’d take a freezing cold shower. “It was Toronto winter, freezing water. I was so p**sed,” he shared. That raw anger became his way into Wolverine’s primal nature. “That feeling ran through my body, and I thought, ‘This is it.’” And the habit stuck. “Now, it’s superstitious. Every time I play him, I start with a cold shower.”
For Jackman, Wolverine wasn’t just about rage but also a controlled release of aggression. “It’s in our DNA. Aggression is primal. Playing Wolverine is like therapy,” he said, comparing it to his younger days playing rugby. Despite sharing little else in common with the tormented mutant, Jackman found Wolverine’s complexity compelling—and extraordinary. “He’s much cooler than me,” Jackman admitted.
Fast forward to Deadpool 3, and Jackman slashed his way back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans got hyped when leaked set photos revealed Wolverine’s classic yellow-and-blue suit—a departure from the black leather of the earlier X-Men films.
Jackman’s journey from near-firing to defining one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes proves that even superheroes have shaky beginnings. Whether it was wrestling with producers, taming wild hair, or enduring icy showers, Jackman turned every challenge into a triumph—and made Wolverine an indelible part of pop culture.
