It's not unusual for actors to put in several months of hard work before filming starts to better fit a role. A Marvel Studios actor, specifically, needs to put in extra effort to look the part of a comic book character.
To that end, Hugh Jackman, who will return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, has spent the past several months bulking up. He started training six months ago and recently gave fans a glimpse of what he eats to help him put on additional muscle for the role.
Jackman posted a photo on Twitter of what he eats, most likely for the majority of the week.
"Bulking. A day in the life," Jackman tweeted. "Thank you Chef Mario for helping me stay healthy and properly fed whilst... Becoming. Wolverine. Again."
Bulking. A day in the life. Thank you Chef Mario for helping me stay healthy and properly fed whilst .. Becoming. Wolverine. Again. pic.twitter.com/bnNAzDiZuR
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) March 6, 2023
The meal includes Black Bass with Rice and Herb Sauce, Patagonia Salmon with Potatoes, two servings of Chicken Burger with Sweet Potatoes, and two servings of Sirloin with Noodles. The meals have a combined total of 8,000 calories, which is four times what an average person needs in a day.
Jonathan Majors, who recently played the villain Kang the Conqueror, also had to prepare for a role by eating 6,000 calories a day for four months. Majors had to bulk up to play as a bodybuilder in Magazine Dreams.
In January, Jackman revealed that he was already eating around 6,000 calories while performing on Broadway for The Music Man. He also had to wear a heart rate monitor to know how many calories he was burning while performing on stage.
"I’m building up. I’m on about 4,500-5,000 calories at the moment," Jackman said in a guesting on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "I wore a heart rate monitor [for ‘The Music Man’] because my trainer said, ‘I need to know what I’m working with here, because I’m trying to bulk you up.’ I burned 1,500 calories in the show, eight times a week. So she goes: ‘Oh, you gotta eat.’ So I was eating 4,500 calories a day, it was not pretty. Now I’m just eating and training."
Jackman isn't taking shortcuts with his Deadpool 3 training. The actor revealed he isn't taking performance enhancements to "cheat".
"No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine," Jackman shared. "I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, ‘I don’t love it that much.’ So no, I just did it the old school way. And I tell you, I’ve eaten more chickens — I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world. Literally, the karma is not good for me. If the deity has anything related to chickens, I’m in trouble."
We'll find out more if Hugh Jackman's efforts will pay off when Deadpool 3 premieres on November 8, 2024.
Speaking of Jackman's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, several rumors suggest that he might be in the MCU for the long haul. This would fit with Jackman's recent revelation that he'll play multiple roles in Deadpool 3.
