Deadpool has one of the most iconic costumes in superhero comics, and rather than tone it down for his theatrical movie, the creative team replicated his duds faithfully. This included his mask, which Wade Wilson doesn’t wear to protect his identity, but so people cant see his disfigured face. Now a featurette from Deadpool’s upcoming Blu-ray release gives audiences some insight into how this distinctive headwear was created for live action. Take a look!
This behind-the-scenes look (provided by IGN) shows just how seriously the Deadpool crew treated making Deadpool’s mask look as accurate as possible. They even got a head start on the job, as it was important that they capture the right expression for the static mask. After digitally scanning Ryan Reynolds’ head and neck, they sculpted on top of that model in clay, and that was then scanned, digitized and 3D printed. From there, the actual costume was made, and there was special attention dedicated to making sure that Ryan Reynolds could breathe while wearing the mask and that the sweat didn’t bother him. The video also showed one of the Deadpool masks up close to reveal that the eye pieces could be popped out and exchanged for other eye pieces. These were done for specific stunts so that the actors could see better and more air could pass through.
Despite working with only a $58 million budget, Deadpool managed to pull off some impressive practical and visual effects, including using five different actors to create Colossus. As you saw in the featurette, recreating Deadpool’s mask was crucial, so that necessitated a lot of time being spent to replicate it. That thing is just as important to him as the swords on his back or his fourth wall-breaking sense of humor. Without the mask, he loses his visual appeal, which definitely hurts branding. Hey, killing folks for money doesn’t may not pay all the bills, so Wade Wilson needs to make sure merchandising is running smoothly.
The video didn’t go into detail with how the work done in post-production to make Deadpool’s eyes move, a feature seen in the comics and in animation, but that’s likely elaborated upon in the full bonus feature. Right now, Deadpool’s only competition in the expressive mask game is Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, who eye pieces are able to move like his comic book counterparts thanks to some tech upgrades from Tony Stark. Deadpool, doesn’t need a reason for his mask’s eyes to move because he’s Deadpool. That’s good enough.
Deadpool will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 10, but it’s available for digital purchase right now. Fans can also look forward to Deadpool 2 in the new future, with Ryan Reynolds, director Tim Miller and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick all returning.
