How does The Greatest Showman feature two Easter Eggs involving star Hugh Jackman’s most famous role as the X-Men’s Wolverine? Released in late 2017, The Greatest Showman was a divisive musical biopic of the (in)famous showman PT Barnum which followed the lives of both the larger-than-life circus proprietor and his living attractions. A lot of critics wrongly hated The Greatest Showman, but fans the world over adored the glitzy drama’s lush aesthetic, the over-the-top melodrama of its story, and its songs. Lord, the film’s songs were everywhere in late 2017.
But it wasn’t all empty glamour which drove viewers to the cineplex. Logan star Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Barnum was met with critical acclaim, which should come as no surprise. After all, the film reunited him with The Wolverine director James Mangold, as Mangold took on an executive producer role after overseeing reshoots on The Greatest Showman. It may have been The Greatest Showman's music that brought fans back to the film again and again, but it's the story-telling that really gives the film an emotional anchor and Mangold's involvement in helping Michael Gracey contain the scope of the film through reshoots and the edit in his advisory role deserves enormous credit. And as such, the film includes one big affectionate reference to the director by way of thanks.
Jackman and Mangold had previously worked together on both The Wolverine and Logan, and their version of Wolverine remains the definitive portrayal of the character (so far). The two must feel the same way, as The Greatest Showman features a pair of subtle nods to their work together on the X-Men franchise. The most notable appears during the credits when Mangold’s name appears as Executive Producer thanks to the reshoots he oversaw. Whilst The Greatest Showman did admittedly make a lot of changes to the real P.T Barnum’s true story, it wasn’t shameless enough to add a clawed wolverine-human hybrid for the sake of a reference. So, Wolverine’s appearance is (mostly) limited to this brief, subtle credits Easter egg.
Take a close look next time you’re re-watching this hit musical/melodrama/biopic/genre mish-mash. You’ll notice an odd illustration hidden in the corner of the screen’s filigree, on the upper right corner of Mangold’s credit. While it seems out of place, there's a tiny Wolverine, arms folded, with a literal Easter egg replacing his head. It’s a goofy but very cute nod to Mangold and Jackman’s earlier work together.
But this small detail wasn’t all that fans missed out on during their first viewing. The name of Barnum’s wife is “Hallett”, the pronunciation of which is close to Logan’s real name James Howlett in the X-Men series. There's a lot of detail hidden in the film, and while The Greatest Showman's ending offers a satisfying full-stop to the story, there is definitely enough in this world to warrant a return. However, as 20th Century Studios were acquired by Disney the future of the film’s promised sequel has become uncertain, so The Greatest Showman may end up being Jackman's last big-screen musical appearance as Barnum.