Who leaked the Deadpool test footage that helped get the movie made? Today is the five-year LeakAversary of that rogue cinematic act, and Ryan Reynolds is still on the case. Last year, he posted about the four-year anniversary, saying he was still searching for the bastard who gave him his current career back on July 28, 2014.
This year, Fox's newly remade Disney star really outdid himself. Ryan Reynolds posted a cork board with a very Deadpool breakdown of the suspects he's investigating. You could spend all day zooming in to appreciate every easter egg on this beauty:
First of all, I hope you noticed that one piece of evidence up there is a CinemaBlend story. I hope you noticed, because I didn't until it was pointed out -- it's at the far left, right above the "Smoking Gun." Five years ago, our own Sean O'Connell wrote a story on how the leaked Deadpool footage changed the superhero's fate. That story is now highlighted and captured for all time on Deadpool's board:
Nice. Second of all, you have to appreciate how Ryan Reynolds calls it "Phase 5." I'm going to go ahead and assume he heard Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige's hint last weekend at Comic-Con about the Fantastic Four and "mutants" -- aka X-Men -- probably being in the MCU Phase 5.
As for the Instagram suspect board, I started checking this puppy out with Betty White in the top left corner. Ryan Reynolds' The Proposal co-star is a surprise suspect, but I'm not shocked to see Reynolds' wife Blake Lively is also on the board. And you knew Reynolds had to add his X-Men Origins: Wolverine co-star/friend/obsession Hugh Jackman.
I'm glad that Ryan Reynolds is "70% sure" he didn't leak the test footage himself. I see Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on the suspect board, as well as director Tim Miller. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit named Miller his own #1 suspect:
And while the person responsible for the leak has never been officially outed, I am now prepared to say with near (but not total) certainty that it was either the film's director, Tim Miller, or someone close to him.
Borys Kit said he spoke with a few "key inside sources" and apparently fingers pointed back to Tim Miller. If that's the case, then it's especially sad that Miller didn't return for Deadpool 2.
Fox wasn't particularly interested in Deadpool until that test footage hit the internet and caused a sensation. So I'm not surprised that Ryan Reynolds keeps honoring the anniversary with mock outrage at the leak.
Deadpool came out in 2016 and made $783.1 million worldwide. For an R-rated superhero movie that opened in February, that was unprecedented. Deadpool was followed by $778.9 million for Deadpool 2 in 2018. They are the top-grossing movies in the X-Men film franchise.
What's next? Deadpool is now part of The Mouse House and we're waiting to hear what's up with Deadpool 3 and all things X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don't be surprised if Ryan Reynolds returns to Twitter next year right at this time to honor year six of the investigation.
