Ryan Reynolds responds to Emma Watts, the Fox executive who helped Deadpool get the green light, leaving the studio. It's easy to forget now, but there was a point in time when a solo Deadpool movie was considered too big a risk to produce. It took test footage leaking and the constant demand of fans to sway Fox, which was a decision that proved to be extremely beneficial. Despite their R-rating (which limits the target audience), the Deadpool films are the highest-grossing X-Men movies of all-time, totaling over $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office. There's a reason Deadpool won't be getting a reboot even though the X-Men are now part of the MCU.
The first Deadpool movie in particular was praised for being the breath of fresh air comic book adaptations needed, entertaining audiences with its crass sense of humor, gleefully over-the-top violence, and constant fourth-wall breaking. It showed R-rated superhero films could be mainstream hits, paving the way for the likes of Logan, Joker, and Birds of Prey to follow suit. The Merc With a Mouth should have a bright future on the big screen, thanks in large part to Watts, who will no longer be with the recently rebranded 20th Century Studios.
On Twitter, Reynolds shared an article reporting on Watts leaving 20th Century, taking the opportunity to mention how important she was to Deadpool being made and the film's record-breaking success. You can see his post in the space below:
Watts was 20th Century Fox's vice chairman and president of production and continued working at the studio even as Disney's acquisition of Fox became official. It's easy to see why Reynolds would have such strong feelings about her departure. Deadpool was a career-changing vehicle for the actor, allowing him to play a signature character he obviously loves deeply. Reynolds likely feels indebted to Watts given her role in the Deadpool series, which is why he'd be open to collaborating with her again down the line. Reynolds will play Deadpool again at some point in the future (this time under the Marvel Studios umbrella), but he remains busy picking up other projects (like Imaginary Friends with John Krasinski), so it stands reason to believe Reynolds and Watts' paths will cross again.
20th Century will name Watts' successor soon. It'll be interesting to see who gets the job, but hopefully they possess a similar eye for talent and are willing to roll the dice from time to time. Cinephiles are concerned about Disney's influence over Fox, specifically which films get the green light. The Mouse House has already pulled the plug on several in-development Fox projects and shut down the Fox 2000 division (which concentrated on adult-orientated, mid-budget fare). Fingers crossed 20th Century still has the leeway to take a chance on something like a Deadpool under their new structure.
Source: Ryan Reynolds