Hugh Jackman Responds to Jokes About Divorcing Deborra-Lee Furness — Details

Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine, co-starring real-life best friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has taken Hollywood by storm with its numerous cameos, surprising heart, and countless humorous references.

The film doesn’t shy away from jokes about its stars’ personal lives. There’s a playful nod to Blake Lively’s Gossip Girl, a mention of Jennifer Garner’s split from Ben Affleck, and even a quip about Hugh Jackman’s recent separation from Deborra-Lee Furness.

Hugh Jackman, 55, and his longtime wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 68, shocked fans when they announced their separation in September 2023 after 27 years of marriage. This real-life drama is mirrored in Deadpool & Wolverine, most notably in a wisecrack by Deadpool: “He’s normally shirtless, but he’s let himself go since the divorce.”

Director Shawn Levy explained to Variety that the jokes, including references to Jennifer and Ben’s split, were pre-approved by the actors involved. “We never did a joke about or with anyone that we didn’t run by them first,” Levy stated.

“Whether it was scripted, like the Daredevil line, or unscripted, like ‘He’s normally shirtless, but he’s let himself go since the divorce,’ which was more of on-set improv, Ryan or I would always run the lines by performers and make sure everyone felt comfortable and that we were never punching down,” said Levy.

He emphasized that the humor was always in good fun and that the actors were on board with it. “It was all in a playful spirit that everyone felt good about. Those lines wouldn’t be in the movie if Hugh and Jen didn’t think they were funny.”

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, who co-starred in Marvel’s Daredevil back in 2003, were also part of the good-natured ribbing. Levy mentioned he had a chance to reach out to Ben about his portrayal in the movie.

“Early on, when we were looking at a 70-name menu of Marvel characters, Daredevil was on one of those lists, but never since those earliest of conversations, and never to the point of outreach or offers or anything like that,” Levy said regarding any attempts to have Affleck reprise his role. However, he did seek Affleck’s approval for a tribute reel included in the end credits.

“We made contact with everyone featured in the Fox tribute reel halfway through our end credits — and that’s dozens of actors who have been a part of that legacy,” Levy added. “That was fun to build a love letter to those years, those characters, and all the actors who played them.”

Deadpool & Wolverine continues to dominate the box office both domestically and globally nearly two weeks after its release. The film has grossed over $824 million, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film in the United States of all time and the second highest-grossing film of the year behind Inside Out 2.

Source: Variety, Getty Images, FlixPix, Cinematic