Ryan Reynolds celebrates the sixth anniversary of Deadpool's theatrical release with throwback photos. Technically, Reynolds made his live-action debut as Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. However, that less-than faithful take on the character turned the wise-cracking mercenary into the mute and obedient "Weapon XI." With the studio refusing to realize the Merc With A Mouth's full potential, in 2014, Reynolds (allegedly) leaked Deadpool test footage online, which sent fan enthusiasm into the stratosphere and pressured studio executives to fund the R-rated extravaganza that is Deadpool.

Like Wolverine and Hugh Jackman, Deadpool has proven to be the character Reynolds was born to play. His faithful and irreverent debut as the character grossed over $784 million at the international box office, which more than warranted Deadpool 2 in 2018. With a $1.5 billion total, the pair of films are some of the highest-grossing R-rated blockbusters of all time, paving the way for comic book movies like 2017's Logan and 2019's Joker. Now, as fans not-so-patiently await Deadpool 3, Reynolds is looking back on the film that not only changed the game but his career.

Related: Deadpool 2: Why Matt Damon Was Credited As "Dickie Greenleaf"

February 12, 2022, marked Deadpool's sixth anniversary, and Reynolds took to Instagram to celebrate by sharing a series of throwback photos. The images show the cast in new BTS images as well as the crew working on the superhero blockbuster. Check them out below:

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Jackman, of course, commented on the above post, "well isn't that special." Since appearing together in X-Men: Origins, Reynolds and Jackman have been inextricably tied by a bromance they've foraged with many tongue-in-cheek digs on social media or in the Deadpool movies. Reynolds has always wanted a Deadpool/Wolverine crossover. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed by Wolverine's ceremonial death in Logan. In 2019, Disney acquired Fox, bringing the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four under the control of Marvel Studios. Despite expressing interest in joining the MCU prior, Jackman's days as Wolverine seem to have truly ended with Logan. However, Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3 is in the works.

Reynolds' already made his quasi MCU debut alongside Korg in a promotional video for Free Guy, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed last year that Deadpool 3 has a release window. Reynolds, who said there's a 70% chance the film starts filming this year, is currently working on a script with Bob's Burgers writers, Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin. While little is known about the project, it is expected to be the studio's first R-rated film. Given the character's meta, fourth-wall-breaking nature, and the fact that he's leading mutants in the MCU, there's no telling where else Deadpool could show up.

More: Deadpool 3 Should Bring Back X-Force (For Good)

Source: Ryan Reynolds/Instagram