Hugh Jackman Played Superman, Too, in an Awkward SNL Family Reunion

Hugh Jackman's best-known superhero role is Wolverine, but he has played Superman as well. It happened on Saturday Night Live in 2001, a year after his first X-Men film.

The sketch put Jackman in the familiar red cape and sent him to meet his parents. What began as a solemn reunion soon became an awkward family chat.

Historical Role

Jackman made his debut as Wolverine in 2000's X-Men, playing the clawed mutant alongside a team led by Professor Charles Xavier. That film introduced his version of the character to movie audiences.

A year later, he was playing a very different comic-book hero on television, with the claws replaced by Superman's cape and costume.

A Global Star

Jackman hosted a season 27 episode of Saturday Night Live on December 8, 2001. His first X-Men film had come out the year before.

For the Superman sketch, he joined members of the show's regular cast. The scene took Superman's search for his origins and turned it into a conversation with his family.

Comedy Chops

Superman's parents were played by two SNL cast members: Will Ferrell was Jor-El, and Maya Rudolph was his mother. Jackman kept his version of the hero earnest through their exchanges.

That made him the straight man as the scene lost its solemn tone. Superman's challenge was simply to talk with the family he had found.

The Sketch

Jackman wore Superman's familiar red and blue for the sketch, which borrowed the Fortress of Solitude setting associated with the films. He entered expecting to discover the secrets of his past.

For viewers used to his Wolverine appearance, the clean-shaven Superman offered a different look. The solemn entrance set up what followed.

Fortress of Solitude

Pale walls and a crystal-filled centerpiece gave the set its icy look. Superman inserted a crystal into the podium, and an image of Jor-El appeared before him.

Ferrell introduced the father in a grand, solemn manner. The scene seemed ready to explain Superman's origins and purpose, with the message reaching him from long ago.

The Premise

Jor-El identified his son as Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. Superman wanted answers about his identity, and his father told him that the crystals held his knowledge.

The music and formal speech gave the meeting the weight of a major revelation. Then the music stopped, leaving the two characters to continue on their own.

The Twist

After the dramatic introduction came an uncomfortable silence. Father and son suddenly seemed to have very little to say, and the meeting became an ordinary family conversation.

Jor-El asked how Superman was doing and offered him money. Superman said he was fine. All that elaborate scenery now surrounded a bit of awkward small talk.

Mother's Eye

After Jor-El, Superman got to speak with his mother. Rudolph's character commented on his outfit, then asked about his friends. He brought up Lois Lane, which she took to mean he had a girlfriend.

He explained that she wasn't his girlfriend, keeping the family awkwardness going. The last section below contains a spoiler for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Full Circle

In 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, Henry Cavill briefly appeared as a variant of Wolverine. Cavill had played Superman in Man of Steel and other DC films, making the cameo an amusing counterpart to Jackman's SNL appearance.

Jackman had played Superman for a sketch; a former Superman actor now had Wolverine's claws. Neither appearance replaced their better-known versions of the characters.