No kidding: ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ could bring Hugh Jackman back to the Oscars
Hugh Jackman returned to his storied role as Logan AKA Wolverine for Deadpool’s debut in the MCU, the massive hit “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool has been a team-up fans have anticipated for well over a year now since the project was announced. And, it’s safe to say, the end result has not disappointed. “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a wildly fun ride with mind-blowing cameos (no spoilers here), a healthy dose of the wonderful Matthew Macfadyen, and a killer soundtrack. But the draw is obviously Deadpool and Wolvy on screen together. Reynolds delivers the laugh-out comedy with his off-kilter Deadpool-isms while Jackman plays Wolverine pretty straight-faced, gruffing and growling his way through a redemption arc that actually packs a punch full of emotion.
As a result, Reynolds and Jackman are a match made in heaven while Jackman is the heart and soul of the movie. Now, bear with us, but… could this mean a potential Oscar nomination for Jackman?
We know this sounds outlandish and unlikely but let’s seriously consider this for a moment. Jackman delivers a committed performance, embodying the character we know and love him as but also offering something different. This is a downtrodden Wolverine who failed his friends and hates himself for it. He’s on the hunt for redemption in the film and Jackman pitches it perfectly, making him an easy character to root for and like. Fans, no doubt, would nominate Jackman for Best Supporting Actor.
Redemption arcs tend to do pretty well in this category, too. Sam Rockwell won here in 2018 for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” He played an outright villain in that movie but his character ended up on a great redemption arc. Christian Bale‘s character in “The Fighter,” the film he won his Oscar for in 2011, is searching for redemption for his troubled past throughout the entire movie.
We are aware that outlandish, wildly comedic movies like “Deadpool and Wolverine” rarely do well at the Oscars. Voters have been broadening their tastes of late, however, with “Barbie” reaping eight Oscar nominations in total including a Best Supporting Actor citation for Ryan Gosling. No one would have ever thought an actor would be Oscar-nominated for playing Ken the doll, but that happened. Is it such a stretch to nominate an actor for playing Wolverine, then?
Voters don’t hugely likely superhero movies as we know but, again, that is changing. “Joker” was nominated for 11 Oscars and won Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. That was a huge breakthrough for superhero movies. Meanwhile, the MCU recently snagged its first-ever acting nomination when Angela Bassett did the thing and was recognized for Best Supporting Actress in 2023 for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” That was a big barrier the MCU managed to get past. Perhaps they are know much more open to these kinds of performances. Before that, Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for “The Dark Knight.” This could be the right category for Jackman to excel in, particularly as it wouldn’t be a nomination just for his performance. It would also be for his legacy.
Jackman has played Wolverine, one of the most iconic characters in movies, in 10 different movies now. That is the longest time anyone has played a comic book character. He is quite literally making history with this role, which he debuted in 2000 with “X-Men.” Since then, he has appeared as Wolverine in nine other projects — admittedly all to varying degrees of success. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” was panned but “X-Men: Days of Future Past” was lauded while “Logan” was critically acclaimed, particularly for his performance. He could have earned a Best Actor bid for that turn but perhaps that was too much for voters. A Best Supporting Actor nomination could be easier to hand out. If they did, they wouldn’t just be recognizing a great performance, they’d be acknowledging a beloved actor in an iconic, history-making role.
If Jackman were to manage a shock nomination here, it would be his second Oscar bid. He was last nominated in 2013 for Best Actor for “Les Miserables.” Our current — and extremely early — Oscar predictions for Best Supporting Actor are Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Player”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Stanley Tucci (“Conclave”), and Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”).
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