Especially when you make superhero movies, being an actor requires a lot of commitment, and Hugh Jackman knows this more than most. Being Wolverine, the Les Mis star had been forced to keep himself in peak physical condition in order to be convincingly intimidating as the mutant Canadian. Throughout the X-Men movie series he’s been absolutely ripped.
But, aside from seemingly limiting himself to a diet of pure protein injected straight into his veins, Hugh Jackman‘s time as Logan in some of the best superhero movies was nearly marked by another physical repercussion: he nearly chopped off his genitals with his Adamantium claws. Look, it’s just a hazard of being Wolverine.
The accident happened while Jackman was making X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is the third movie in the series if you’re watching the X-Men movies in order chronologically. It might also be the worst X-Men movie, but let’s just ignore that for now.
In one scene, Jackman was playing one of the best X-Men characters as he was awakened after being experimented on and given his Adamantium skeleton and iconic claws. “I’m running and it’s a very intense scene,” said Jackman, speaking on The Graham Norton Show. “I’ve been experimented on, I’m naked, there’s blood…”
Jackman explained that as he ran around a corner in the scene the assistant director had prepared the movie’s crew to be there cheering him on in his nakedness as a joke. Of course, instinctively the surprised Jackman used his hands to cover his privates without realizing that he still had his Adamantium claws on the end of his knuckles and in doing so Jackman hurt himself.
“I did cut myself on the inner thigh,” he said. “Actually the inner thigh, thankfully.” It was a near miss for Jackman, who narrowly avoided a very painful accident during his naked action scene. Of course, because the movie ended up as a PG-13 (which was, ultimately, one of its issues) Jackman’s nakedness was removed from the movie. But, fans watching the film will still be able to catch the scene that almost permanently wounded the actor.
After his ‘departure’ from the character with Logan (the best movie in the X-Men series so far) Jackman will be back as Wolverine when the upcoming Marvel movie Deadpool 3 finally arrives. It will bring Deadpool into MCU continuity, and Jackman’s Wolverine too.
Now go see our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.