We’ve seen several movies over the years that show us a reimagining of a character or story we thought we knew, and A24's The Death of Robin Hood is set to hit the 2026 movie calendar to do just that with the titular outlaw. On the opposite end of the spectrum that gave us animated foxes and men in tights is Hugh Jackman’s brutal version of the legendary archer. What I'm especially excited about, though, are critics' comparisons to another Jackman movie.
The Death of Robin Hood violently shoots down the familiar image of a man who stole from the rich to give to the poor, instead painting the protagonist as a wounded man who’s now grappling with a life spent satisfying an insatiable bloodlust. It’s not unlike what we saw from Hugh Jackman in Logan, Brandon David Wilson of RogerEbert says in his review of The Death of Robin Hood, down to his being forced to care for a little girl. The critic rates it 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing:
His Robin Hood is one of the most interesting takes on the character in recent memory. He handles Hood’s steely resolve to survive, his willingness to commit atrocities, and his regrets with grace. The film, in the end, seems to also be about the medieval equivalent to being cancelled. Robin Hood’s third act heroism is notable, not for the acts of violence he commits, but the way he submits himself for judgment when he could have avoided it altogether. For once, a Robin Hood film has come along that challenges us to think about what redemption costs.
Jim Vejvoda of IGN gives it a “Good” 7 out of 10 for an astonishing cast that includes Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett and Noah Jupe, gory kills and artsy drama from writer/director Michael Sarnoski. However, the “Logan of Robin Hood movies,” as the critic calls it, is more niche and less accessible than Sarnoski’s previous two projects — Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One. Vejvoda writes:
The Death of Robin Hood ably mixes the meditative myth-busting of Unforgiven, the medieval ultra-violence of The Northman, and the dreary Celtic aesthetic of The Green Knight. Yet the film also benefits to a large degree from the enduring memory of Jackman’s other, better ‘violent badass cursed by his past’ film, Logan. Instead of adamantium claws, he uses a knife and a bow and arrow to eviscerate his foes. While that doesn’t diminish Jackman’s performance as Robin Hood, I could never quite shake the knowledge that I’ve seen him do this all before.
Guy Lodge of Variety says The Death of Robin Hood is “exquisitely crafted and emotionally intelligent” but almost wears its dourness as a badge of honor. He continues:
Beautifully shot and designed in a full rainbow of earth and stone and sackcloth, and performed with grace and conviction by Jackman and a well-chosen ensemble — including Jodie Comer as a stoic abbess nursing our man, if not to health, at least to peace — this is a production of unimpeachable integrity and intelligence, and a commendably mature bit of summer counter-programming from distributor A24.
Jacob Oller of AV Club gives it a C and says it’s more than Hugh Jackman’s wild facial hair that likens The Death of Robin Hood to Logan, as it follows in the trend of eating away at the fables that brought us to the characters in the first place, just like Jackman did with Wolverine in Logan. Oller says:
Jackman channels some of that same weariness, where violence is a second nature he just can’t shake, and grapples with the same kind of surrogate fatherhood in The Death Of Robin Hood. But the legendary bandit’s grey-haired reckoning isn’t a reluctant spectacle, nor does it pull our heartstrings as taut as his faithful bow. It’s a slow drip towards the end, reality running out like blood from a vein, leaving only a body of stories behind. But without a compelling narrative or affecting emotions at its core, the subversion is often as shallow as the legend.
Kristy Puchko of Mashable also notes several similarities between The Death of Robin Hood and Logan, but says in the upcoming A24 movie, Hugh Jackman’s character has less rage and therefore less energy. The attempt to rewrite this centuries-old character is “bleak, brutal, and boring” with “truly repulsive onscreen violence.” Puchko says:
It's impossible to watch The Death of Robin Hood and not think of Logan. Both films star Hugh Jackman, and both mar his leading-man good looks with old age makeup, scars, and mangy facial hair. In each, he plays an anti-hero whose legend is one of noble heroism but whose reality is a trail of senseless carnage. And in both, his withered humanity is revived by protecting an orphaned girl. In this comparison, The Death of Robin Hood only suffers.
While the critics don’t all agree, the reviews of Death of Robin Hood seem to be mostly positive, as so far it’s earned a 73% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. It definitely sounds like an interesting story — if one we’ve seen Hugh Jackman portray before — but how good audiences are going to feel afterward remains to be seen.
If you want to give it a shot, The Death of Robin Hood hits theaters on Friday, June 19.
