Hugh Jackman's Gritty Action Movie Based on Iconic Outlaw Debuts to Strong Rotten Tomatoes Score - MCE Notices | California State Portal

Hugh Jackman is unrecognizable in his new action movie. The actor plays the titular role in the upcoming The Death of Robin Hood.

Set to hit theaters on June 19, the A24 gritty action film shows a different version of the legendary outlaw, who took from the rich and gave to the poor. Ahead of the film’s premiere in theaters, The Death of Robin Hood debuted with a positive 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The early score comes from 26 reviews available at the time of writing, and they’re from critics who got a chance to check out an early screening. The film’s score will likely fluctuate further as more opinions come through.

What Are Critics Saying of The Death of Robin Hood?

The new action film comes from Pig director Michael Sarnoski, and also stars Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe. The Death of Robin Hood follows the outlaw grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, and gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.

The Lamplight Review’s Brent Hankins praised the film, explaining, “The Death of Robin Hood is somber, occasionally punishing, and stubbornly uninterested in giving you a good time in any traditional sense. But it’s also one of the most moving films I’ve seen in a while, and easily my favorite of the year so far.”

The Film Stage’s Dan Mecca explained, “Sarnoski is concerned with the act of storytelling, and how each story evolves (or devolves) over time. It’s a fitting focus for a myth such as Robin Hood.”

Among the negative reviews, The Playlist’s Marshall Shaffer argued, “It’s easy enough to admire the evident technical merits, yes, but difficult to find any element that invites a viewer into the specific, soulful experience of the characters.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck wrote, “Unfortunately, the filmmaker is so keen to make good on his premise that The Death of Robin Hood becomes a tedious slog. You spend most of the film’s overlong running time wishing that its main character would die a quicker death.”

Hugh Jackman Set a New Record in 2026

Image via A24

The Death of Robin Hood isn’t Jackman’s only release in 2026. The actor starred in the detective comedy The Sheep Detectives, which also set a record for his highest-rated projects from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The comedy features a fantastic Certified Fresh 95% approval from critics, higher than 2019’s Bad Education (with 94%), and 2017’s Logan (with 93%). It also features a Verified Hot 96% rating from audiences.

At the same time, while The Sheep Detectives and The Death of Robin Hood are his confirmed titles, fans are hoping to see Jackman again in a star-studded project: Avengers: Doomsday. The upcoming film, which hits theaters on Dec. 18, marks a new era of the MCU and features the iconic superheroes previously introduced, fighting new supervillain Dr. Doom alongside The Fantastic Four and X-Men.

Since Jackman returned as Wolverine in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, albeit a different version of the character than the one in the previous X-Men films, he is expected to make his appearance in a future film. Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, who plays Deadpool, aren’t confirmed in the film, but several X-Men stars, including Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Gambit, are in it.

The Death of Robin Hood premieres on June 19.