Actor Ryan Reynolds has had a long and successful career in film, with his starpower becoming even brighter thanks to his leading role in the Deadpool franchise. But the Merc with the Mouth had a difficult time getting to theaters, sitting in development hell for a number of years. Now Reynolds has joked about what it was really like trying to get Deadpool made for so long, before admitting he almost gave up.
Given the insane box office and critical reception of both Deadpool movies, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would put up a fight against the foul-mouthed hero’s franchise. But that’s exactly what happened, with the “leaked” test footage helping to give the first movie momentum and fan excitement. The Waiting… actor recently reflected on the struggle of getting Wade Wilson to the big screen, saying:
You know, it wasn’t like I was whippin’ out a broadsword and heading up the hill to fight my way through the executives again. It was, new leadership would come in, and I would go do the song-and-dance.
Sounds like quite a process. While superhero movies have proven themselves extremely profitable, Deadpool was a different type of project. With an R-rating and a fourth-wall breaking title character, Ryan Reynolds really had to sell studio execs in order to get the franchise started. Luckily that song-and-dance eventually paid off.
Ryan Reynolds’ comments to CBS come as he's promoting his upcoming Netflix movie The Adam Project opposite Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. Eventually the conversation turned to his signature character Deadpool, and what it took to get the fan-favorite movie in theaters for the first time.
The story behind Deadpool’s inception is definitely one that’s intrigued the general public, especially in relation to the test footage that was leaked online. It’s been long-rumored that Ryan Reynolds himself was behind that breach, which allowed for fan excitement for the developing project to grow. For his part Reynolds has joked a ton about this, which only helps make it more iconic. Later in that same interview the Red Notice star was asked if he ever thought about quitting during his quest for Deadpool’s production, saying:
Yeah. I think it was about a year-and-a-half before we got the green light for the movie.
Luckily that’s not what happened. Ryan Reynolds stuck to his past, and the first Deadpool movie proved that an R-rated superhero movie could still be a massive hit at the box office. A sequel was quickly produced, which was similarly successful. Now the question is: what’s next?
Fans have been wondering about the future of the Deadpool franchise ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties. While Ryan Reynolds has been in touch with the powers that be at Marvel Studios, it’s unclear if/when the threequel will ever come to fruition. What’s more, fans are hoping to see the Merch with a Mouth crossover with characters like The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Adam Project will hit Netflix on March 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
