Actor Hugh Jackman reprised the role of adamantium-clawed mutant superhero Logan, better known as Wolverine, in Deadpool & Wolverine, the 34th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the Shawn Levy-directed movie, he stars opposite Ryan Reynolds, who also returns in the role of Deadpool. Both the characters are making their MCU debut with this movie, which is also the first R-rated entry in the MCU. Let’s relive the actor’s journey so far in Hollywood with the best movies starring Hugh Jackman ranked according to IMDb ratings.
Born on 12 October 1968 in Sydney to English parents who migrated to Australia a year before his birth, Jackman was interested in acting from a very young age. His first professional role was King Arthur, in a theatrical production of Camelot. But this star did not truly rise until the Australian miniseries Correlli (1995). After that, he never looked back. In 2000, he made his Hollywood debut in X-Men and played the role that has basically become synonymous with him. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hugh Jackman’s career goes beyond his role as Wolverine
While his most well-known role remains Wolverine, Jackman has played many other interesting characters and has been in some excellent movies that do not come under the umbrella of X-Men. Perhaps the best film he has been a part of is a Christopher Nolan movie, The Prestige (2005). In the movie, he plays the role of Robert Angier alongside Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, two magicians whose rivalry in 1890s London becomes an obsession and leads to tragic consequences.
Another movie, with an incredible Jackman performance, is Denis Villeneuve’s psychological thriller Prisoners (2013). Even though the movie features actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis, it is Jackman who ends up being the MVP with its raw, emotional and, quite frankly, a bit terrifying performance as a father who is willing to go to any lengths to find his missing daughter.
Note: The article includes Rotten Tomatoes ratings as well for comparison.
Hugh Jackman movies to watch before Deadpool & Wolverine releases
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Bad Education (2019)
IMDb rating: 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94 per cent
Directed by: Cory Finley
Other cast members: Ray Romano, Welker White, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan
Movie duration: 1 hour 48 minutes
Synopsis: Dr Frank A Tassone (Jackman) and his assistant superintendent Pamela Gluckin’s (Janney) financial crimes come to light, thanks to student reporter Rachel Bhargava (Viswanathan). Rachel is initially encouraged by Dr Frank, not knowing that she would probe a little too deep while working on a story. As Dr Frank and Pamela’s world comes crashing down, the meltdowns ensue.
Why it’s great: Although this movie is based on a serious topic of corruption, it is also morbidly entertaining (and a little unsettling) to watch Dr Frank and Pamela losing their minds as their crimes catch up to them. Based on the fascinating (if a little disturbing) true story of the biggest embezzlement scam in the history of American public school education, this movie is based on a New Yorker article titled “The Bad Superintendent”.
X-Men (2000)
IMDb rating: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82 per cent
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Other cast members: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, James Marsden
Movie duration: 1 hour 44 minutes
Synopsis: This movie kicked off the X-Men franchise. It features two opposing factions within the mutant community. One, led by Charles Xavier (Stewart), is X-Men, peace-loving mutant superheroes who protect and care for mutants and other humans. The other is the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto (McKellen), which is more supremacist in its ideology and believes in mutant superiority over humans. Xavier becomes concerned when it appears Magneto wants to induct Wolverine (Jackman) into the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Why it’s great: Back when the superhero genre was not crowded, we had fabulously entertaining movies like this one. A solid movie that nicely balances its huge cast of characters while also being substantial and focused on what it wants to convey. McKellen, a British veteran actor who is also known for playing Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is eerily convincing as the evil Magneto.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 57 per cent
Directed by: Michael Gracey
Other cast members: Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya
Movie duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Synopsis: This musical drama movie depicts the life of American showman P. T. Barnum (Jackman) and recounts the birth of show business as we know it. The story narrates his rise to fame as a global star from almost nothing. It’s the early 1800s. A young P. T. Barnum builds the Barnum & Bailey circus. Featuring music, talented performers and acrobatics, it becomes far more successful than even his wildest dreams.
Why it’s great: A visually and aurally stunning experience on any screen, particularly on the bigger ones. With catchy songs, great performances and top-notch cinematography, it is more of an experience than a movie. Zac Efron, also known for sports biopic movie The Iron Claw, is superb in this movie.
Les Misérables (2012)
IMDb rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 70 per cent
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Other cast members: Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne
Movie duration: 2 hours 38 minutes
Synopsis: Based on the French stage play of the same name, which itself is based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, this period musical movie features a veritable army of big Hollywood stars. Jean Valjean (Jackman) is a prisoner in 1815s France who is released after a 19-year sentence for stealing food. Since he is on parole, he cannot take up work or accommodation according to the rules. He breaks parole and becomes a respected man under a new identity. However, one of his acts of kindness does not go unnoticed, and a policeman called Javert (Crowe), whose sole aim in life is to get Jean back behind bars, begins looking into his true identity.
Why it’s great: Handsomely mounted and well-acted, this musical is a treat for the senses. Whether you are familiar with the original story or not, you will find something to appreciate in this movie. Anne Hathaway is in a very different, yet interesting, avatar here.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90 per cent
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Other cast members: Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage
Movie duration: 2 hours 12 minutes
Synopsis: The fifth instalment in the X-Men series, this movie sends Logan (Jackman) to the past (1973, to be precise) to alter an event that destroyed both humans and mutants. In the 21st century, the robot Sentinels developed by weapons designer Bolivar Trask (Dinklage) wreaked havoc on mutants and their human supporters, killing nearly all of them. In 1973, Trask was assassinated by Raven (Lawrence) in 1973, but then, the government captured and experimented on Raven and used her DNA to create Sentinels. Logan’s job is to prevent the assassination, transforming the past for the better.
Why it’s great: I like these stories where the premise is one or more characters travelling to a parallel universe to right a past wrong. But I have to admit that stories like these are rarely done well. Days of Future Past is one good example.
Logan (2017)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93 per cent
Directed by: James Mangold
Other cast members: Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook
Movie duration: 2 hours 17 minutes
Synopsis: Based on Marvel Comics’ Old Man Logan alternate-history storyline, this movie was going to be Jackman’s swan song as Wolverine before, of course, Deadpool & Wolverine became reality. The movie is set in a future where mutants have become extinct. Logan has become old and tired, with his healing abilities fading. He is essentially dying. So is Charles Xavier (Stewart), who is nearing 100. But Logan has to come out of retirement and fight his last battle to protect a mutant child Laura (Keen) from people like cyborg mercenary Pierce (Holbrook).
Why it’s great: A movie that is less of a superhero movie and more of a blistering and action-packed science-fiction thriller. In a year that saw the release of brilliant superhero movies like Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot, and Thor: Ragnarok, starring Chris Hemsworth, Logan proved to be the best of them. Jackman is astounding in the role.
Prisoners (2013)
IMDb rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 81 per cent
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Other cast members: Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terence Howard, Paul Dano, Maria Bello
Movie duration: 2 hours 33 minutes
Synopsis: The Dovers, Keller (Jackman) and Grace (Bello), and the Birches, Franklin (Howard) and Nancy (Davis), are friends, celebrating Thanksgiving. Their young daughters and friends Anna Dover and Joy Birch go out to play and disappear. The families spot a parked vehicle and contact the police. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) is assigned the case and looks into the man in the driving seat Alex Jones (Dano), who appears to be mentally ill. Unconvinced as to how a man like him could plan a kidnapping, he begins to look elsewhere. Keller, however, is certain about Alex’s guilt and begins to use torture to force him to reveal the girls’ location.
Why it’s great: It is not often that Gyllenhaal is outdone by a fellow actor in a movie. But Jackman does exactly that. It is a supremely committed performance that does not feel like a performance at all. Instead, it feels like you are stealing glimpses of something occurring in the real world. Paul Dano, who played the Riddler in Matt Reeve’s The Batman, is eerily convincing as a mentally-ill loner.
The Prestige (2005)
IMDb rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77 per cent
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Other cast members: Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine
Movie duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
Synopsis: In Victorian London (in the 1890s), two stage magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale), begin a dangerous rivalry after a tragedy. They become obsessed with outdoing each other, whatever the cost. It goes on until one of them pulls off the perfect teleportation illusion. Or is it an illusion, really?
Why it’s great: Many Nolan fans consider this movie to be his best and thus, even better than The Dark Knight. I disagree, but there is something compulsively watchable about it. Jackman and Bale, both great actors, are firing on all cylinders and are great to watch together. It is also one of the best movies based on books ever. The movie is based on a Christopher Priest novel of the same name.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of Stephen Vaughan/Touchstone Pictures/ Warner Bros. Pictures/ IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Not as such. But if you wish to witness Jackman’s evolution as an actor, you should watch his movies in the chronological order of their release.
‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ (2014) is his highest-grossing movie until now. It grossed over USD 746 million worldwide. Though, 'Deadpool & Wolverine' will almost certainly surpass that figure.
He is popular because he is a phenomenal actor who has given superb performances in a variety of roles.
Hugh Jackman’s best action movies are his ‘X-Men’ movies, particularly ‘Wolverine’ (2013), ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ (2014), 'Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), and ‘Logan’ (2017).
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
