One of the biggest hits of the 2024 movie schedule, Deadpool & Wolverine, shattered box office records and drew massive audiences. While the violent and raunchy great superhero film might not typically come to mind during awards season, Ryan Reynolds thinks it’s time to change that perception. His reasoning for why movies like D&W deserve recognition is insightful and spot-on. (Seriously, comedy is hard, folks!)
Via the best Ryan Reynolds movies, the wise-cracking star knows how to blend humor and heart on screen. Over the years, his ability to infuse sincerity into his irreverent antihero persona has made him a fan favorite. But the former Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place actor also seems to be taking on another role lately: defender of comedy’s artistic merit. In a candid response to a user’s critique on X (formerly Twitter), the Just Friends star laid out a compelling case for why comedic performances, including his own work as the Merc with the Mouth, deserve a seat at the awards table:
Andrew’s a genius. He and Florence are magic together in, WE LIVE IN TIME. They’re heartbreaking and charming and spend the entire film in a high-wire act of humanity and constraint. And yes I am Deadpool BUT I will take a second and speak up in defense of comedy. Dramatic work is difficult. And we’re also meant to SEE it’s difficult which is one of the reasons it feels visceral and effective. Comedy is also very difficult. But has an added dimension in that it’s meant to look and feel effortless. You intentionally hide the stitching and unstitching. I think both disciplines are beautiful. And both work beautifully together. Comedy and drama subsist on tension. Both thrive when subverting expectation. Both thrive backstopped by real emotion. And both are deeply subjective. Your favourite comedy might be Anchorman. Mine might be Lars Von Trier’s, Melancholia.
Comedy is subjective; however, can we all agree that if you find Trier's Melancholia funny, you might want to seek professional help?
This argument feels especially relevant in today’s awards landscape. Although some of the best comedy films happen to also be among the greatest movies to watch over and over again, and comedies have been a staple of cinema since Hollywood’s earliest days, the genre’s contributions are often overlooked in prestigious arenas like the Oscars. With that, dramatic films continue to dominate.
Ryan Reynolds’ observation that comedy is designed to appear effortless underscores how this very trait can sometimes work against its recognition. The craft behind a perfect comedic performance—the timing, the subversion of expectations, the emotional underpinnings—is often invisible to audiences. Yet, as the Free Guy actor points out, it’s no less intricate than what’s required in drama.
And, if anyone knows about balancing the two, it’s Reynolds. His portrayal of Wade Wilson/Deadpool isn’t just about quippy one-liners and fourth-wall-breaking antics. Beneath the humor lies a deeply flawed character grappling with love, loss and redemption—emotions that audiences connect with just as strongly as they do with the best of Andrew Garfield’s dramatic roles.
As awards season approaches, The Adam Project star’s comments ignite an important conversation about how the industry values and assesses different forms of storytelling. Performances in Deadpool or other comedies may not deliver the same visceral intensity as a heavy drama, but they offer something equally impactful: joy, catharsis, and connection. Since the Academy Awards began in 1929, there have been 96 ceremonies. Yet, out of nearly 100 Best Picture winners, only 20 have been comedies—the most recent being Everything Everywhere All At Once historic win in 2023.
Whether Hollywood will ever fully embrace comedy as equal to drama is still uncertain, but one thing is clear: Ryan Reynolds’ defense of the genre is as sharp and skillful as the humor that defines his career. Fans can catch him in action in Deadpool & Wolverine, which is now streamable with a Disney+ subscription.
