Ryan Reynolds says he’s terrified of Hugh Jackman’s physicality in Deadpool and Wolverine

Deadpool and Wolverine co-stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds praised each other’s commitment to selling the film’s fight scenes. Reynolds went so far as to admit that he feared for his safety on several occasions when Jackman attacked him.

Ryan Reynolds praised co-star Hugh Jackman’s athleticism during filming Deadpool and Wolverine. The praise carries weight considering Jackman has played the character for over 24 years; the actor is now 55 years old, but he looks more devastated than ever in the film’s trailers. In an interview with People, Reynolds said Jackman’s stunt work was “lightning” during the fight scenes. “You achieve your goals in these fight scenes with speed and confidence like I’ve never seen,” he added. “I don’t care if you were 25, 35, 45 or 55.” Reynolds then explained how his co-star’s physicality was sometimes frightening.

“I noticed that in the movie we changed things quickly and said, ‘Okay, let’s try this and that,’” he said. “And particularly the physicality – that skill, the dancing and that background – really came from you doing things that I was convinced when you came up to me a couple of times, there’s no way this guy can take it. I will be beheaded by Hugh Jackman, and that will be his cross to bear, not mine.” Reynolds was equally irreverent but endearing with Josh Brolin during press conferences for Deadpool 2; at one point, Reynolds told Brolin that he was “so old he made dust look like a baby.” Initial trailers for Deadpool and Wolverine teased Jackman would not be spared the same insults throughout the film.

Hugh Jackman is physically intimidating in Deadpool and Wolverine

Reynolds joked that he had good reason to fear for his safety during the fight scenes with Jackman. “When Hugh Jackman is coming at you at 150 Australian miles per hour, you feel like there’s no way you won’t die in four seconds“, he said. “And I will never forget that. And thank God I’m wearing a mask, because underneath the mask my face says, ‘Oh God!’” Jackman confirmed that he actually toughened up for the role and even became more agile with dance training, proving that he was capable of punching Reynolds on a whim. The banter and animosity fueled the actors’ on- and off-screen banter, mirroring their characters’ love-hate relationship in the comics.

Jackman admitted he thought he was done with Wolverine after Logan, but recently regretted the decision. He said the physical demands of the role were starting to take a toll on him. “I got to the point probably 10 years ago and I was like, I don’t like it. It was hurting. It was hard,” he confirmed. He first considered making a comeback after seeing Dead Pool, and the sequel made the crossover film even more compelling. Jackman said he had been thinking about the idea for some time, but the decision to finally do it hit him “like a bolt of lightning.”

Deadpool and Wolverine opens in theaters on July 26th.

Source: People