Hugh Jackman’s allegedly hung up the claws f0r good, but it’s clear Wolverine is still a big part of him. So much so he paid an adorable tribute to the X-Men character on stage recently. The actor is currently on Broadway in The Music Man, where instead of the very specific mutton chops and claws, he flips between a suave derby hat and a marching band cap. But a fan recently brought a special accessory to the show and Jackman couldn’t help but show it off. For starters, I didn’t realize foam Wolverine claws exist, and now cannot wait to buy a pair. But it’s sweet how excited Jackman is to strike that classic Wolverine pose. Recently, the actor posted a video of this The Music Man meets Wolverine mashup to his Instagram story for us all to enjoy.
Both the audience and The Music Man‘s cast seems so utterly charmed by this whole interaction. It is the one—probably even Patti LuPone-approved–instance where using the phone in a theater is remotely acceptable.
The clip is short, so we don’t get to see the full exchange between the fan and Jackman. But the actor posts the crux of it: beckoning him to hand the foam claw over, showing off his spectacular pose, and joyfully tossing it back. But given how delightful the foam claw is, I’m sure just a brief wave at the end of the show was enough to capture Jackman’s attention.
The real question is, what if he performed The Music Man with the foam claw—just once! I’d even settle for a performance of “Ya Got Trouble.” I think the claws would add such a dynamic layer.
Still, though, it’s charming to see so much enthusiasm from Jackman. After all, he did play the iconic mutant in nine films—including two small cameos—over the course of 17ish years. So the Wolverine pose must be as second-nature as blinking at this point. Even if we don’t see him as our MCU Wolverine, at least the character is still very near and dear to Jackman’s heart. And now we feel ready for a full version of The Music Man, everything the same except it stars Wolverine.
