The Real Reason Hugh Jackman Almost Quit Playing Wolverine After Logan

After getting buried with an X to mark the spot at the end of James Mangold's "Logan," it felt like Hugh Jackman's stint as the angriest man wrapped in adamantium was over. But then the Oscar nominee came back alongside the Merc with a Mouth in "Deadpool and Wolverine," crossing claws with Ryan Reynolds' new Marvel katanas in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's an understandably big ask for the star who has worn Weapon X's iconic sideburns since 2000. In fact, there was some doubt from Jackman himself about getting back in the action ... until a few dance numbers and time in the spotlight reassured him that he could handle being the hero once more.

Speaking to People alongside Reynolds, Jackman revealed that he was considering hanging up Wolverine's claws even before "Logan" came to fruition. "I had got to the point probably 10 years ago I was like, 'I'm not enjoying it.' It was hurting. It was tough," the actor admitted. "But I've had a break, and I've been doing a lot of dance. I've been doing stage shows. And so when I came back to it, it was really fun." Might some of Logan's regenerative powers rubbed off on the man that spent so long in his shoes? It's unsure to say, but Reynolds has expressed what it's like to witness firsthand, and it sounds kind of scary.

Hugh Jackman might have surprised himself by getting back into the role so easily, but his co-star sounded just as stunned at the standard being set. After previously sharing the screen as Wolverine and Wade in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Ryan Reynolds seemed assured that Logan (or at least a variant of the one we know) was back and in ferocious fighting shape.

In the joint interview with Jackman, Reynolds was candid about what reuniting with Wolverine was like in the latest chapter of Deadpool's wild movie timeline. "When Hugh Jackman is coming at you at 150 Australian miles per hour, you feel like there's no way you're not going to be dead in four seconds," the actor revealed. "And I will never forget that. And thank God I'm in a mask, because under the mask my face is going, 'Oh God!'"

It's this level of enthusiasm and admiration for each other that reassured fans that "Deadpool and Wolverine," which could have easily been a cash-in, was a passion project between pals. And the fans responded in kind, powering the movie to over $1 billion at the box office.