In honor of X-Men Day, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds praises Wade Wilson as his greatest role. Fox will release its 12th entry in the franchise, Dark Phoenix this July. After nearly 20 years of adapting Marvel’s Marvelous Mutants for the big screen, the Disney/Fox deal will see the end of an era where superhero movies are concerned. Fox has named May 13 as X-Men Day to celebrate their history with these beloved Marvel characters. Reynolds took that as an opportunity to weigh in about his feelings on the major part that he has played.
Reynolds first took on the role of Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009, although it was a part that most viewers would prefer to forget. However, the actor rebounded from this disappointing turn by fighting with Fox to give the Merc with a Mouth another chance. Reynolds finally donned the suit in 2016 in Deadpool. The R-rated movie was a hit with fans and critics alike, altering many opinions on what a superhero movie needs to be in order to succeed. This trend only continued with an incredibly successful sequel, which was even given a special PG-13 release as well. It would seem that Reynolds has enjoyed his time as Deadpool just as much as fans have relished seeing him bring Wade Wilson to life.
Today, Reynolds took to Twitter to express his excitement for Deadpool. The actor stated, “Happy #XMenDay. Since the moment I first put on the suit, it’s been the greatest gig of my life. Even “Practice Deadpool” in 2009.” Reynolds also gives credit to the much maligned version of the character who appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a role that he has admitted to disliking just as much as viewers did. It would seem that despite the way that iteration turned out, Reynolds still feels grateful for the fact that it started him out on his superhero journey.
In between “practice Deadpool” and his proper turn as the Merc with a Mouth, Reynolds portrayed another hero: Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern. The movie was derided by most fans, but the actor refused to let this setback derail his hopes for Deadpool. Reynolds had actually been working to get the movie made well before his now infamous appearance in the Wolverine movie. These days, he certainly has no trouble convincing anyone to make more Deadpool films. Even with Disney almost definitely preparing to reboot the entire X-Men franchise, apparently there are no plans to do so with Wade Wilson. While the future of Fox's New Mutants remains in question, Reynolds has assured fans that Deadpool 3 is still in the works. The Merc with a Mouth seems set to continue his R-rated run, though he might not find himself integrated into the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Even in a film as poorly regarded as the first Wolverine movie, the spark that Reynolds brought to Wade Wilson was still visible - at least before his mouth was sewn shut. However, no one could’ve predicted just how well received the Deadpool movies would actually be. Reynolds has become as synonymous with the character as Hugh Jackman is with Wolverine, despite the fact that Reynolds has portrayed the hero for a fraction of the time. With so much upheaval behind the scenes, it’s impossible to say how long viewers will be waiting to see Reynolds reprise the role. Regardless of how long it takes, fans will no doubt be anxiously awaiting news of Deadpool’s future.
Source: Ryan Reynolds