The Wolverine star is trading adamantium claws for arrows in what might be his most dramatic transformation yet. Fresh images from A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood” show Hugh Jackman looking barely recognizable as the legendary outlaw, and this isn’t the swashbuckling hero we’re used to seeing.
Entertainment Weekly just dropped the first official stills from the film, and they’re striking. Jackman sports a wild mane of white hair, a thick grizzled beard, weathered scars across his face, and what can only be described as a Game of Thrones-worthy fur coat. This Robin Hood has clearly seen some things, and the years haven’t been kind to him.
A darker take on a classic legend
Director Michael Sarnoski, fresh off his success with “A Quiet Place: Day One” and the critically acclaimed “Pig,” is bringing a completely different energy to Sherwood Forest. This isn’t your typical Robin Hood story about stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Instead, the film follows an aging Robin Hood wrestling with his violent past as a battle-worn loner who finds himself critically injured and in the care of a mysterious woman offering him a shot at redemption.
“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 explained. “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.”
Sarnoski himself described this version as someone who “was this murderous outlaw who did a lot of terrible things, and was kind of monstrous”. The director warned that while it’s not strictly an action film, “it’s probably more intense than you’re expecting”, comparing the combat sequences to brutal war movie battles rather than elegant sword fights.
An all-star cast and mysterious roles
Joining Jackman is an impressive ensemble. Jodie Comer plays a character that Sarnoski is keeping tightly under wraps, though he’s confirmed she’s not Maid Marian. Bill Skarsgård appears as a version of Little John, someone Robin once mentored as part of what the director describes as “a little army of child soldiers”. The two characters reunite years later with very different perspectives on their shared past. The cast also includes Murray Bartlett and Noah Jupe.
The production wrapped in April 2025 after shooting in Northern Ireland, and Sarnoski shot the entire film on 35mm, adding a raw, authentic quality to the visuals. “There’s a charge that it gives you, we’re burning film right now, this is the real deal,” the director shared about the experience.
With A24 backing the project and a 2026 theatrical release on the horizon, “The Death of Robin Hood” is shaping up to be one of the most unique takes on the folklore legend we’ve seen in years. If these first images are any indication, Jackman’s performance could be something truly special.
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