Hugh Jackman is sharing the hardest part of getting back into superhero shape for Deadpool & Wolverine.
The actor, who reprises Wolverine for the Shawn Levy-directed movie, recently chatted with co-star Ryan Reynolds about transforming back into the character for the first time since 2017’s Logan.
The Free Guy star initially praised his longtime friend for his dedication to physical training. “Just the sheer relentlessness that you dedicated yourself towards stunts, choreography,” Reynolds, 47, said during the conversation for People. “It was the first time I’d ever seen how invaluable a background in song and dance is when you are doing an action movie.”
“You hit your marks in those fight scenes with speed and confidence, the likes of which I have never seen. I don’t care if you were 25, 35, 45 or 55. It was lightning,” he continued of his praise. “Watching you do what just looked like a clinic on stunt work was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Jackman, seemingly appreciative of his friend’s kind words, noted that much of the physicality came from working with stunt coordinator Brian Smrz. The Greatest Showman actor said Smrz introduced dance training as an option to prep for action sequences, and he said it successfully paid off.
“When I came back to it, it was really fun and I was thrilled,” Jackman, 55, recalled. “My body was a little sore at the beginning, but I was thrilled that my body was still responding. And I realized how good it is for your brain.”
However, the X-Men actor still faced some challenges.
“The hardest bit…[was] the food,” he told his co-star of his troubles with bulking up. “I have to eat a lot. For me, for my body type, I’m naturally skinny. To get the size on, that’s the hardest bit. That’s the bit that does my head in.”
Reynolds related to Jackman’s struggles, adding, “Yeah, the five, six meals a day, which sounds great to some people. I’m sure they’re like, ‘Well, that sounds great.’ But it’s not like the type of food that you would really necessarily enjoy.”
Earlier this month, Jackman told Fandango that he signed on to a third Deadpool movie so spontaneously that he forgot to tell his agent first.
“Sometimes in life things come really clearly to you, and when that happens I’ve learned you just jump, you go for it,” he said at the time.
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit theaters July 26.