“Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part”: Kevin Feige Stood Beside Hugh Jackman When He Thought He Lost the Biggest Role of His Life
Hollywood is where dreams come true but also where rejection is common. For aspiring actors, a single audition can make or break a career. Hugh Jackman, the iconic Wolverine, almost missed out on his defining role due to a rough first audition. But a lucky meeting with Kevin Feige, who was just a junior assistant then, led to an act of kindness that changed the star’s future forever.
Later, Jackman’s casting as Wolverine taught Feige an important lesson early in his career. Initially, people were skeptical because Jackman didn’t look like the comic book Wolverine. At 6’2″ with a handsome face, he was quite different from the short, rugged character fans knew.
But Jackman quickly won everyone over with his performance. Feige looked back at the initial criticism and said, ‘Who cares that he’s so tall? He captures the essence of Wolverine.’
Kevin Feige Stood by Hugh Jackman During Career-Defining Moment
Hugh Jackman initially bombed his audition for Wolverine in 1999. Discouraged, he believed his shot at the role was gone. However, Kevin Feige, then an assistant to a producer, showed Jackman unexpected kindness.
Despite the audition not going well, the (now) Marvel boss treated the actor to a steak dinner and personally drove him to the airport. In a competitive industry, this act of genuine warmth from Feige made a lasting impact on Jackman. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor recalled:
I said, ‘Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part. You don’t have to do dinner.’ But no, he sat in there and had a steak dinner with me and then drove me to the airport. I’ll never forget it. That was the nicest thing. I thought, I’ll never see him again.
Neither of them could have predicted that Feige would one day lead Marvel Studios, or that Jackman would become famous as Wolverine. His skill at spotting talent and forging connections was key to Marvel’s long-term success.
The 55-year-old played Wolverine in a whopping nine X-Men films! This helped make Wolverine a superhero that everyone knows and loves. His dedication to the role and natural likability are big reasons why the character is such a fan favorite.
Hugh Jackman Return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 Elates Kevin Feige
Hugh Jackman is clawing his way back to the big screen as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. It will also feature Ryan Reynolds‘ return as the Merc with a Mouth. The Aussie actor previously said he was done playing Wolverine after his character’s death in 2017’s Logan. However, Kevin Feige, along with Reynolds, convinced him to return for this unique project.
This will be the first R-rated movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and expectations are high! Even, the president of Marvel Studios got emotional talking about it, because he actually worked with Jackman way back on the very first X-Men movie.
Feige remembers watching Jackman’s audition for that film, and he’s excited to see him return as Wolverine alongside Deadpool. “To have Hugh come back is incredible,” Feige told EW. “For me, personally, that is where I started.”
Deadpool & Wolverine are set to release on July 26th!
