Hugh Jackman

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Alex Kirschenbaum

By Alex Kirschenbaum

Contributing Entertainment Writer

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Hugh Jackman may have retired multiple times from playing Wolverine, but the 57-year-old Academy Award nominee apparently isn’t quite finished depicting beloved superheroes just yet.

A24, the beloved indie “mini-major” that’s been making a name for itself with a variety of clever, original genre fare over the last decade or so, is dipping a toe into the familiar.

Jackman is playing the title character in the studio’s upcoming The Death of Robin Hood, a seemingly grisly reimagining of the legendary outlaw.

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As portrayed by Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Russell Crowe, Taron Egerton, Cary Elwes (although in fairness, that was a Mel Brooks satire), a cel-animated Disney fox and more, the character is typically a charming rogue. He is practically always an avenging hero, a righteous man determined to take from the rich and give to the poor.

But not the Jackman vintage. The movie’s poster tagline even boldly declares, “He was no hero."

Hugh Jackman

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This hypothesis is frequently reiterated in the flick’s brand-new trailer.

A mournful Jackman at one point claims, ruefully, “I’ve killed so many, I could not give you a count. It’s a curse.”

That’s a bit of a pivot.

Writer-director Michael Sarnoski previously helmed the Nicolas Cage chef thriller Pig and the apocalyptic alien invasion blockbuster Universal prequel A Quiet Place: Day One.

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The Death of Robin Hood co-stars Jodie Comer (a mysterious figure who sparks Jackman’s regretful Robin Hood towards thoughts of redemption), Bill Skarsgard (playing a “version of Little John,” Sarnoski told Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment Weekly), Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe and Elijah Ungvary.

"What I love so much about Mike’s vision of Robin Hood is that the script delivered power, and it examines how power can be used for good or bad," Jackman told Hoffman about the project. "Robin Hood is a real man in our story. With all the scars, the pain, the regret, and yes, the love. Mike’s story has weight to it. For me, it’s beautiful and human."

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