Kevin Feige Took Hugh Jackman Out For Steak After He Bungled His Wolverine Audition

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | July 5, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | July 5, 2024 |

Being kind is easy. It is certainly easier than being cruel. Deciding to be kind can also benefit you in the business world. When trying to climb the corporate ladder in any industry, it is important to treat those you meet on the way up with respect. That way, if you have to run into them on the way down, you have a good relationship. Hell, you may run into them again while you’re at the top, so you always want to put your best foot forward.

It’s hard to imagine, but 25 years ago, few people knew who Hugh Jackman or Kevin Feige were. One was an up-and-coming actor who had found some success on theater stages. The other was an eager Producer’s Assistant, helping shepherd in a new generation of comic book films (even then). Feige was working on a new film called X-Men and Jackman had secured an audition for it. As you may not assume, the audition didn’t go well.

At this point, it’s become “history” that Jackman was not the first choice to play Wolverine. Dougray Scott had landed the role, only to have to drop out because he was attached to play the villain in Mission Impossible 2, which had been delayed thanks to Stanley Kubrick taking his sweet time with Eyes Wide Shut. Scott could have ended up leading Deadpool & Wolverine this summer, as opposed to being relegated to a (likely) cameo.

Jackman assumed (correctly) that he had blown his Wolverine audition, which is why he tried to turn down the kindness offered to him by a young Producer’s Assistant. Jackman recalled to Entertainment Weekly that he initially refused Kevin Feige’s post-audition dinner offer. “I said, ‘Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part. You don’t have to do dinner.’ But no, he sat in there and had a steak dinner with me and then drove me to the airport. I’ll never forget it. That was the nicest thing. I thought, I’ll never see him again.”

As we now know, that was not the case. Jackman saw Feige plenty in the decades to follow. Now, they’ve made what could be the biggest film of 2024. It’s a lesson to always put kindness first. Yes, a dump truck full of money likely helped inspire Jackman to return to his most recognized role. Still, getting a chance to re-team with a man who showed him kindness at what felt like a low point in his life probably helped seal the deal.