Ryan Reynolds posted a tribute to Hugh Jackman on Instagram this week. It was short, a little silly, and completely on brand. His caption: “You can’t put a price on friendship. But you can put it in a protective sleeve.”
The post pulled in more than 58,000 likes.
The protective sleeve is a collector’s term. Comic book fans use clear plastic sleeves to protect their most prized issues, the kind they’d never want to lose. Reynolds has played Deadpool, Marvel’s loud, fourth-wall-breaking antihero, since 2016. Comics are basically his professional home. Calling Jackman’s friendship something precious enough to be sealed away fits the persona perfectly. It’s a real compliment, but it comes with a punchline.
Reynolds and Jackman have one of Hollywood’s more entertaining public friendships. It started as a mock rivalry. They’d trade jabs in press interviews, turn up uninvited in each other’s social posts, and keep a low-level comedic back-and-forth running for years. But somewhere along the way, the joke and the truth started to look the same. The general read: they genuinely like each other.
They’ve crossed paths professionally in real ways too. Jackman appeared in content promoting Reynolds’ Aviation American Gin brand, leaning into their dynamic to help move the product. Reynolds has shown up to support Jackman’s work in return.
The biggest chapter between them came in 2024 with Deadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel film put their two characters on screen together for the first time. It was one of the biggest box office hits of that year, earning more than a billion dollars worldwide. The film also gave their dynamic a proper narrative home. Their on-screen chemistry felt easy and natural. Not every pairing of two big names actually works. This one did.
Since that film, both have kept busy on separate tracks. Jackman has remained a major presence in theater and stage work. Reynolds has kept busy with acting alongside his outside ventures. He holds a stake in Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club. The club has been the subject of a long-running documentary series. He’s also stayed involved with Aviation American Gin.
This post doesn’t appear to be tied to any new project. Nothing has been announced between the two. Reynolds just had a good line, tagged his friend, and put it out.
Jackman hasn’t responded publicly yet. Reynolds doesn’t seem to be waiting.
The protective sleeve line works because it earns its own logic. Protective sleeves are for things you can’t replace. Framing a friendship that way is sweet. Framing it like a collector’s tip is funny. Reynolds managed both in one sentence. That’s about as on-brand as it gets.
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