Hugh Jackman Shares Public Adoration For Welcome To Wrexham's Rob McElhenney, And Ryan Reynolds Responded

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on Welcome to Wrexham and Hugh Jackman on Faraway Downs.
(Image credit: FX/Hulu)

Fans are excited to see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman come together on the big screen this summer in the blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, but the friendship between these actors is nothing new. For over a decade the two have been embroiled in a faux feud, with the amount of trolling seemingly knowing no bounds. But while Jackman may show his love for Reynolds best through sharp social media burns, he took a more genuine approach with Reynolds’ Welcome to Wrexham co-star Rob McElhenney.

If there’s anybody who can relate to busting Ryan Reynolds’ chops as often and as hilariously as Hugh Jackman, it’s definitely Rob McElhenney. The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star went into business with Reynolds in 2020 to purchase the Wrexham football club in Wales, and the dynamic between the two is one of the best parts of the FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham (available to stream with a Hulu subscription). However, it looks like a new bromance is brewing, in a recent Instagram post from Jackman:  

It’s such a wholesome post from The Greatest Showman star, whose appreciation for Rob McElhenney sounds so genuine. A little TOO genuine, perhaps? There’s no mention of Ryan Reynolds at all in Hugh Jackman’s caption, but given how much of a departure his sincere words for McElhenney are compared to what we’re used to seeing between him and Reynolds, I can’t help but think this has got to be a subtle dig.

Not to be outdone, Ryan Reynolds later responded to this picture in a way befitting him quite well:

This is how I find out?

While the Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman faux feud dates back to the set of 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds’ soccer club has been at the center of quite a few of their most recent interactions. The Les Misérables star joked about “finally” snagging a ticket to see Wrexham play, three years after his friend bought the team, which resulted in some choice words between the two after the match. Rob McElhenney even got in on the fun after Reynolds appeared to have a Wolverine-like reaction to a win for their club in January.

Rob McElhenney also had jokes when a photo of a sad-looking Ryan Reynolds went viral during a Kansas City Chiefs game where his wife Blake Lively and her BFF Taylor Swift were cheering on Travis Kelce.

Having Ryan Reynolds as a common frenemy could definitely be something for Hugh Jackman and Rob McElhenney to bond over, and given the humor of all three involved, I just want to see more. 

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds may not always be as straightforward with their love for each other as Jackman was in the above post with Rob McElhenney, but it’s still pretty obvious how much they care about one another. In fact, Shawn Levy, the director of the upcoming Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine, revealed the actors’ dynamic on set, calling their bromance “a tale for all time.”

Fans will get to see that unfold in theaters this summer, when Deadpool 3 premieres on Friday, July 26. While we wait for that, you can see what else is coming soon to theaters with our 2024 movie release calendar.

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.