Hugh Jackman Was Grossly Underpaid For His Best R-Rated Superhero Movie

Summary:

• After 17 years as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman decided to step away with a final standalone movie, Logan.
• To secure Logan’s R-rating, Jackman took a massive pay cut, and the movie earned over $619M.
• Logan was extremely positively received, bragging a score of 90% or more on different platforms.

Hugh Jackman is officially the longest-running Marvel actor ever: he first took on the role of Wolverine half a century ago in 2000 and will put on his yellow costume again this summer, 24 years later! But at one point, Jackman decided to walk away from his iconic character — and for that, he needed to secure his legacy with a standalone movie.

And secure Wolverine’s legacy Jackman did: he created one of the greatest superhero movies to date, all for the price of a personal financial sacrifice.

Logan Was Made by Jackman’s Virtue

2017’s Logan was not just a movie: it was Hugh Jackman’s love letter to his iconic character — and his farewell song to a long and important chapter of his life. The actor’s final (at the time) outing as Wolverine redefined the superhero genre, defying its laws in the best way possible, and captivated audiences all over the world.

Few people know that Logan was made largely by Hugh Jackman’s virtue. The actor wanted to do Wolverine justice, and he knew the movie had to be R-rated. Of course, that meant limiting audiences, and the studio didn’t like the idea; but Jackman took an enormous pay cut from his own salary to secure the required rating and have Logan greenlit, ensuring the movie will be dark and properly violent.

Logan Instantly Became a Massive Success

Hugh Jackman’s dedication paid off tremendously even despite the R-rating. Logan was produced on a modest by Hollywood standards budget of just $97M, but it went on to earn over $619M at the worldwide box office, making it a massive commercial success. The movie broke even and began profiting on its opening weekend already.

In the reception department, Logan also fared handsomely: as of now, Jackman’s standalone Wolverine film boasts a 93% Critic Score and a 90$ Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, and its reviews are nothing short of spectacular. It’s safe to say that, through passion, dedication, and sacrifice, Hugh Jackman managed to create a lasting and one-of-a-kind legacy for his life’s work.

And then, of course, Ryan Reynolds came around and dragged the man back into the MCU. Oopsie daisy.