Hugh Jackman says longstanding tenure as Wolverine took a major toll on his voice

Playing one of the most recognizable characters in the world comes at a cost, as Hugh Jackman confessed during a recent interview with the BBC's Front Row radio program. Speaking about his record-breaking tenure as the gruff Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise at 20th Century Fox (rebranded to 20th Century Studios under Disney's ownership), the actor admitted that the iconic role took a massive toll on his vocal cords. Not the greatest thing in the world when you're singing on Broadway multiple nights a week.

"I've done some damage to my voice with Wolverine," he said. "My falsetto is not as strong as it used to be and that I directly put down to some of the growling and yelling. And my voice teacher at drama school would've been horrified by some of the things I did because we learned a technique of how to shout and how to yell without ruining your voice. However, during Wolverine, I did some screaming and yelling and things that I think did damage my voice. I work with a singing teacher [now] and I make sure that I try not to hurt myself. And I really put a lot of effort into both physical movement and my vocal preparation for every role."

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Jackman is currently gearing up for one last go-around as James "Logan" Howlett in the third Deadpool movie, where he will star alongside Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth (in the meantime, you can catch Jackman in The Wolverine, now streaming on Peacock). Shawn Levy (a close friend of both actors after his work on Real Steel, Free Guy, and The Adam Project) has been tapped to direct the hotly-anticipated sequel, which will introduce Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"It's something very different to anything I've done before as Wolverine," Jackman teased, going on to reveal that production officially kicks off this summer. "I really thought I was done [but] I woke up one day; I remember it was August, it was my first day of vacation and I went, 'I'm not done.' It really came to me like that. Ryan had been begging me for years to do something and I kept saying no. So I'm not sure he fully believed me [when I said yes to this]."

While plot details are currently under wraps, we do know that the film's version of Wolverine is not the one depicted in Logan, keeping the sanctity of James Mangold's perfect sendoff intact. In terms of supporting players, Emma Corrin (The Crown) boarded the movie last month in a key, yet undisclosed, role.

Deadpool 3 arrives on the big screen Nov. 8, 2024.

In the mood for some mutant mayhem? The Wolverine is now streaming on Peacock.