Ryan Reynolds has had a long and successful career in film, but the actor is perhaps most synonymous with his role as Wade Wilson in the Deadpool franchise. But this wasn't Reynolds' first foray playing a comic book hero, as he previously starred in 2011's ill-fated Green Lantern movie. Since then the 43 year-old actor regularly pokes fun at this project, including Deadpool 2's wild credits scene. And now Reynolds recently explained why he continues to make such self-deprecating jokes about the DC blockbuster.
Hal Jordan/Green Lantern is one of the most iconic DC heroes of all time, as he was the very first Lantern who audiences met on the page. Landing the title character of the Green Lantern movie was no doubt an exciting opportunity for Ryan Reynolds, although it ended up a critical and box office disappointment. Ryan Reynolds recently opened up about why he jokes keep coming, saying:
I think it's more about just laughing at myself, not laughing at other people, necessarily, that are involved in a project. But laughing at myself and my own contribution to that failure or however you want to characterize it. It was just something that I thought was worth examining, you know? And in examining it, you take that energy that is - typically, maybe it's hurtful or maybe it's something that's dragging you down - and you end up creating a sort of mental Judo with it. You're using its energy against it and creating something positive out of it.
Sounds like a healthy way of looking at things. Everyone has had their career hiccups, particularly actors. And rather than stewing on Green Lantern's poor performance, Ryan Reynolds instead addresses the elephant in the room and is able to laugh at himself. And in the case of Deadpool 2, making entire theaters erupt into laughter as well.
Moviegoers can re-watch Green Lantern over on HBO Max. You can use use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Ryan Reynolds comments come from a recent press event for his new movie Free Guy, which was attended CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell. Eventually the conversation turned to his brief tenure as a DC character, and the actor's penchant for joking publicly about Green Lantern. Deadpool 2 famously saw Wade Wilson going back in time to kill Ryan Reynolds with the movie's script in his hands. It's a shocking button on the already outrageous credits sequence, and proved how willing the actor was to make of himself.
Ryan Reynolds isn't the only actor to play multiple superheroes throughout the years, but he's certainly the one to embrace this duality the most. Part of this is simply due to the actor's signature wit and sense of humor. Add in Deadpool's fourth-wall breaking nature and penchant for referencing other comic book franchises, and the Green Lantern jokes were basically begging to be told.
Moviegoers are still patiently waiting any indication of the Deadpool franchise's future. Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox puts the House of Mouse in charge of the property, with some fans hoping Wade Wilson will crossover to the MCU. We'll just have to wait and see when Deadpool 3 becomes a reality, and if there are any more Green Lantern references.
CinemaBlend will keep you update don all things Deadpool as more details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
