Summary
- Ryan Reynolds’ first appearance as Deadpool was a disaster, prompting creator Rob Liefeld to step in and help fix the character.
- Despite the rocky start, Reynolds redeemed Deadpool in his self-titled films, making fun of the character’s past in
X-Men Origins: Wolverine. - Fans are eagerly anticipating the release of
Deadpool & Wolverine
, which aims to redeem the MCU after recent failures and put the franchise back on track.
Deadpool is arguably a role that Ryan Reynolds was born to play, but his first big screen appearance as the character was far from perfect, and the character’s creator, Rob Liefeld, had to bail him out. While fans best remember Reynolds for his two appearances as the character in the self-titled Deadpool films, and are desperate to see the character return in Deadpool & Wolverine, they’ve tried incredibly hard to forget his debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The film started off strong, showing Reynolds without any prosthetics as Wade Wilson, the wise-cracking, sarcastic mercenary who can slice a bullet in half with a sword. However, it was all downhill from there as the final act saw Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine face off against a superpowered ‘Deadpool’ (if he could be called that). The character’s iconic fourth wall breaks, red suit, and katanas were swapped out for retractable sword claws, laser beam eyes, and having his mouth completely sewn shut. The reception to the film’s treatment of the beloved character was abysmal, and Rob Liefeld remembers a call he received from Marvel begging for his help. Liefeld responded to a recent quote by Ryan Reynolds on X/Twitter about the character’s fate in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Check out Liefeld’s response below:
Ryan Reynolds Frequently Jokes About X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine achieved the almost impossible task of disappointing an entire fan base with its depiction of Deadpool. While some fans have managed to move on from the experience, thanks in part to Reynolds’ two excellent Deadpool movies, one person who can never quite let the mistake lie is the man who has corrected it. No one makes fun of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine like Ryan Reynolds himself. The actor has frequently ripped the film apart in interviews, press appearances, and in his subsequent Deadpool movies.
One of Reynolds’ most high-profile obliterations of the movie came in the end credits of Deadpool 2. After fixing Cable’s (Josh Brolin) time machine, Deadpool traverses time and space, saving his wife Vanessa, and killing the version of Deadpool found in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, joking that he’s “just cleaning up the timeline.” Reynolds loves making fun of his past missteps. Alongside his first outing as Deadpool, the actor’s starring role in the slated Green Lantern movie is a frequent target for Reynolds’ self-deprecating humor. In the same montage, Deadpool kills a younger Ryan Reynolds as he’s sitting reading the script for Green Lantern.
Related
How Young is Too Young to Watch Deadpool & Wolverine? Ryan Reynolds Has the Irresponsible Answer
Deadpool & Wolverine is the first R-rated MCU movie, and for good reason.
Just as Deadpool redeemed the character, Deadpool & Wolverine is looking to redeem the MCU for its past missteps. Phase 5 has seen an uncharacteristic number of failures from Marvel Studios in terms of audience reception, including She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Marvels, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Alongside Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Deadpool & Wolverine is looking to put the MCU back on the right path as the franchise builds up to Avengers: Secret Wars.
Deadpool & Wolverine
releases in theaters on July 26, 2024.