Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman OK'd Those Deadpool Divorce Jokes, Director Says: 'All in a Playful Spirit'

The director behind Deadpool & Wolverine he assures the audience that all the jokes in the film are pre-screened.

While talking to Diversity Recently, about the large number of cameo roles in the superhero film, director Shawn Levy said that both Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman agree with the jokes that the film makes about each actor’s real-life divorces.

“We never joked about or with anyone without bumping into them first,” said Levy, 56. “Whether it was scripted, like the Daredevil song, or unscripted, like ‘He’s shirtless by the way, but he let go after the divorce’, which is more improvisation on set, Ryan [Reynolds] or I’d always do lines by artist and make sure everyone’s comfortable and we’re never overdoing it.”

Jackman, 55, and his ex-wife Deborra-lee announced they were separating after nearly three decades of marriage in September 2023, while Garner, 52, was married to Ben Affleck from 2005 until their divorce in 2015. In the new Marvel film, Deadpool jokes about Wolverine’s (Jackman) post-divorce physique, while Garner’s character Elektra rejects Deadpool’s sympathy for losing her on-screen romantic interest, Daredevil, who Affleck played in 2004.

“Everything was in a playful spirit where everyone felt good,” Levy told the news outlet. “Those lines wouldn’t be in the movie if Hugh and Jen didn’t think they were funny.”

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Hugh Jackman in the movie ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.

Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios

While Deadpool & Wolverine brought back many of the Marvel characters who had previously appeared on the big screen in films produced by New Line Cinema and 21st Century Fox, Affleck, 51, did not reprise his former role as Daredevil for the film. Upon request from DiversityLevy said the production never went so far as to actually offer Affleck a chance to appear in the film.

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“Initially, when we were looking at a list of 70 Marvel character names, Daredevil was on one of those lists, but never from those earliest conversations, and never to the point of outreach or offers or anything like that,” he said. He said. “We reached out to everyone featured in the Fox tribute reel halfway through our check-out—and that’s dozens of actors who were part of that legacy. It was fun putting together a love letter to those years, those characters, and all the actors who played them.”

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Ryan Reynolds (left) and Hugh Jackman in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.

Jay the maid

Along with Jackman and Garner, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe also featured surprise appearances from Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, and Dafna Keen, among others. The film has dominated the box office since its July 26 release and has already grossed more than $824 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

Deadpool & Wolverine it’s in theaters now.

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Source: HIS Education