Hugh Jackman Took His Feud With Ryan Reynolds To A Whole New Level – And It Was All Being Filmed

As you most likely know, Reynolds and Jackman are the stars of two gargantuan Marvel movie franchises. The latter portrayed Logan/Wolverine in the X-Men series, while the former has played Wade Winston Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool in the Deadpool films. But how did the dueling actors begin their long public feud, and why did the animosity recently come to a head?

Well, Jackman and Reynolds appear to have first met on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine at the tail end of 2007. That film was the fourth movie in the long-running X-Men series. And ever since then, there has been a steady stream of invective thrown about between the pair.

But what was the very first flashpoint in the now notorious conflict? Well, Jackman himself figured that it was around 2008. And the verbal jousting between the pair began over the stunning American actress Scarlett Johansson, who shot to adult stardom on the back of the acclaimed Lost in Translation.

Reynolds had begun dating Johansson in 2007 after splitting from Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. He walked the New York-born beauty down the aisle in the September of the next year. And Jackman had plenty to say about that. In fact, the affable Australian had some strong words for his rival.

Jackman recalled to The Daily Beast what he told Reynolds, in no uncertain terms. He said, “I used to ream him because I was very close friends with Scarlett, and Scarlett had just married Ryan, so when he came on set I was like, Hey, you better be on your best behavior here, pal, because I’m watching.”

But that, of course, wouldn’t be the end of it. No, far from it. In the same interview with The Daily Beast Jackman continued, “We started ribbing each other that way, and then it all escalated with the Deadpool thing and him calling me out, and trying to manipulate me through social media to do what he wanted.”

A few years would pass until the rivalry publicly heated up again. But in November of 2015, Reynolds stepped up to ridicule his great adversary. While wearing Deadpool’s burned-face prosthetics, he pretended he was the Australian, even putting on a passable Aussie accent. Reynolds said, “G’day mate! Hugh Jackman here, just reminding you to get your votes in for People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive.’ Cover’s coming up.”

It’s worth pointing out that this particular sly dig from Reynolds didn’t come out of nowhere. No, in fact he and Jackman had both been selected as People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” two years apart from each other. Jackman took the flattering honor back in 2008, and Reynolds claimed it in 2010.

Things escalated further just a couple of months later, in January 2016. Back then, Reynolds made another considered attack on his adversary. To mark that month’s Australia Day, the actor dressed up as Deadpool for a new video message, in which he sort of wished Australians a happy day – while mocking the Antipodean culture – but chided Jackman. But what exactly did he say?

Well, when addressing Australians for their national holiday, Reynolds said, “One tiny problem, you gave us Wolverine and for that – I can’t forgive you.” He then continued his rant, saying, “I’ve got no problems with Hugh. I mean, he’s a delightful guy he really is. True legend. But that movie [X-Men Origins: Wolverine in which they both starred, which critics savaged] was a career low for me, you understand.”

Ah, so maybe that was how the purported resentment came about. Well, a month later, when the movie Deadpool was released, there was a remarkable piece of content in it. In a prominent scene, when Reynolds’s Wilson belatedly unveils his damaged face to Vanessa, he lifts his mask off to reveal a cutout made of paper. And the cutout is of Hugh Jackman’s handsome face.

Jackman evidently had begun to believe that Reynolds was more than a little bit obsessed with him. As in that same month he posted a picture to his social media accounts of him and the Deadpool actor together. “Seriously, Mate. You’ve got to stop following me. SECURITY!!!” the Australian wrote.

This meeting heralded an interview between the pair that saw Reynolds jibe Jackman about his height and accuse him of having an affair. In November 2016, the two of them sparred on Twitter over some fan art. But it was the next month in which the Australian would get his own back on a previous Reynolds jibe in spectacular fashion.

Yes, in December 2016 Reynolds was awarded with the distinguished honor of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But Jackman chose to mark the moment by launching an attack on his long-time rival. Remember when Reynolds held up a mask of Jackman’s face in Deadpool? Well, Jackman returned the favor, pretending to be the Canadian-American when he accepted the award.

In the video clip uploaded to his social media, Jackman held up the mask and said, “You may remember me from such things such as People Magazine’s 2010 Sexiest Man Alive, of DC Comics’ Top 10 superhero movie the Green Lantern. Who would’ve thought that just three years after getting a star on Canada’s walk of fame, I’d be getting a star on Hollywood’s walk of fame?”

Jackman continued with his mocking assault, saying, “How could a guy who failed his high-school drama class be this talented? I have no answer to that. But to quote my favorite actor in the world Hugh Jackman and who by the way was people’s sexiest man alive way before me – [America is] the most generous country on the planet. And feel free to urinate on my section of the sidewalk.”

Reynolds waited a few months to hit back. When Jackman posted a picture of him in Beijing with fans in March 2017 and thanked the Chinese city for a great visit, the Canadian-American tweeted the photo with the retort, “Pretty sure those are protestors.” Then in April 2018 Jackman posted a bizarre happy birthday message video in which he appeared to be in bed with Deadpool himself.

After that weird turn, Reynolds was back to his wisecracking best in April 2018. When Jackman posted a picture with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness to mark their 22nd anniversary alongside a heartwarming message, the Deadpool actor retweeted it with the caption, “I gave this three months. Tops. I was wrong.”

There have been many more capers in the past few years, including another Deadpool film dig at Jackman, call dodging, insincere birthday greetings and retaliatory political attacks ads on one another. Reynolds even wrote on his birthday message from Jackman, “This man is a monster. He’s not even from Australia. He’s from Milwaukee.”

Intriguingly, Reynolds doesn’t shy away from getting his family involved in his online battles. A case in point was his feud with Chris Hemsworth, which escalated in December 2020. The Van Wilder star enlisted his mom Tammy to read a retort. “He’s asked me to read something about a friend of his. Normally, I would not talk to my friends like this, but he insisted,” she said on a video Reynolds uploaded to Twitter.

After stating, “Chris Hemsworth is everyone’s least favorite Australian,” Tammy read out what can only be assumed to have been vulgar expletives, which censors mercifully bleeped out. However, Mrs. Reynolds’s heart didn’t seem to be in the message, because after reading it, she decided to apologize to the Thor star.

Indeed, Tammy suddenly broke from her rant and said, “I am so sorry for my son Ryan, Chris. You know it’s my fault. I brought him up wrong.” Then Mrs. Reynolds offered an olive branch, by going on to say how much she liked Hemsworth. “I loved you in Wonder Woman!" It was the best,” she offered. Except the Australian wasn’t in that movie – it was Chris Pine!

Perhaps Tammy wasn’t really apologizing then but actually setting up another trolling of Hemsworth. But Mrs. Reynolds has not been immune to her son’s devious online antics. In December 2017, he posted a picture of him and his ma at Brazil Comic Con to Instagram. “My Mom had the best time in the #Deadpool tattoo booth at Brazil Comic Con. #ccxp2017,” he wrote, but the photo of her had been edited to add a bunch of hideous tattoos to her face and neck.

So no one it seems – not even his own mother – was safe from Ryan Reynolds internet-based attacks. But his main target and adversary was still clearly Hugh Jackman. And, as mentioned earlier, their monumental and now infamous feud would escalate in a really unusual way. What is more, it involved Mrs. Reynolds.

So what exactly went down? How did the feud reach boiling point? What was it that Jackman did to Reynolds that was so appallingly below the belt? Well, let’s have a good look and see what happened. First, we should note that the warring actors made something of an uneasy truce to team up with wholesale giant Sam’s Club for a special initiative.

Word of the uneasy teaming-up between Jackman and Reynolds for this special initiative would come from the latter’s Instagram account. In a short video clip posted on October 29, 2020, the Deadpool actor and his Aussie foe teased the joint venture with Sam’s Club. Then they crossed their arms and stared each other down as if they were boxers preparing for an upcoming fight. The clip was tagged with, “The Feud is coming to Sam’s Club.”

But what was it all in aid of? Well, the next video, released on November 10, 2020 by Reynolds on his YouTube channel explained more clearly and fully. Entitled “Forgiveness,” it begins with the two actors sitting together in a Christmassy looking home by the fireplace. Then Reynolds states, “You know, they say the holidays are a time for forgiveness.” Next Jackman quips, “And if we’re being honest, the two of us have a lot to be sorry for.”

The video then goes on to show old clips of their infamous, long-running feud. Then another brief tit-for-tat between them leads to Reynold’s stating, “You know what, forgiveness sucks. Let’s let the people pick a winner.” And so it is announced what it is all in aid of – a head to head between the pair and their own companies to earn funding for their chosen charities from Sam’s Club.

Jackman was first to make his pitch to people to buy his Laughing Man Coffee or vote for him in the video. He stated, “This holiday when you shop at Sam’s Club you can side with me, and not only affirm Ryan is the canned cranberry sauce of human beings, but you’ll also contribute to the Laughing Man Foundation, which helps coffee farming communities around the world.”

Then Reynolds made his own pitch for votes and the purchase of his Aviation Gin. “Side with me to send a message that like mistletoe, Hugh just makes things awkward,” he stated, earning a look of disbelief from Jackman. “And Sam’s Club will help me support efforts to provide compassionate care to sick children through the SickKids Foundation,” the Deadpool actor announced.

So after an amusing final aside, the warring pair went quiet for, well just a few days actually. Yes, on November 9, 2020, they returned in a new video entitled “Arguing.” The short clip involved more insults and reviewing of their lengthy dispute. But it was in the third video in the series that things really caught fire.

Yes, this time, it got really personal and cruel. That’s because in the remarkable video short, Jackman landed a shot on his bitter adversary that in boxing terms can only be described as a painful low blow. So let’s move swiftly on to the clip and the shocking details of it.

It starts off innocently enough, with Jackman repeating his sales pitch, stating, “This holiday season, every time you buy Laughing Man coffee at Sam’s Club, you’ll be helping coffee farming communities around the world. The Laughing Man Foundation invests in programs that clear the way to health and growth for coffee farmers and their families.”

But then the gloves really come off for Jackman. The affable Australian goes in hard on his rival, saying, “And a special word for those who’d rather buy Aviation Gin. Stop enabling this man. He’s not your friend, he’s not my friend, and I’m pretty sure he’s no one’s friend.”

Then, with Reynolds looking totally bemused, Jackman delivers what could be labeled his killer blow. “Isn’t that right, Ryan’s mom?” he utters. And as swiftly as he says those words, Tammy Reynolds suddenly appears on the screen by video link to agree with her son’s mortal enemy. “That’s right, Hugh,” she states. Ouch!

Reynolds’s jaw can be seen nearly hitting the floor, as he wonders what the hell has just happened. “How did you get my mom?” he states, looking crestfallen and forlorn. “She’s staying with me!” Jackman replies before ending the video by stating, “I’m Hugh Jackman, and I approve this message.”

Poor Ryan Reynolds. His own mom had deserted him and teamed up – behind his back – with his most formidable foe. How could that happen? It must have been a devastating moment for him. But just before Christmas, on December 22, 2020, things would get even worse for the Green Lantern star.

You see, Jackman would get a call before Christmas to inform him of some big news. He had won the Sam’s Club battle between the pair. After showing evident delight at his victory, Jackman did what a classy winner would do and called his long-running rival to gloat. “You lost the Sam’s Club thing. I won. Everyone hates you. Bye,” Jackman told Reynolds before quickly hanging up.

But all was not what it seemed with Reynolds and Jackman. In reality, the feud is a long-running gag between the actors, who are good friends going back years. Furthermore, the competition was for bragging rights only, and Sam’s Club ensured that both charities equally benefited from the campaign. But there’s no doubt that the dueling duo further enhanced their superhero stature by raising loads of money for their chosen charities. Bravo, fellas.