Ryan Reynolds Reveals How X-Men Origins Forged ‘Incredible Friendship’ Leading to Deadpool and Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds And Hugh Jackmanwhose paths first crossed in 2009 Origins of the X-Men:Wolverine, have gathered for Deadpool and Wolverinemarking a significant moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the 2009 project’s lack of critical success, neither actor expresses any regrets, with Reynolds noting that “it forged this incredible friendship.”
Reynolds, reflecting on their early collaboration, acknowledged the difficult circumstances of filming in the midst of a writers’ strike, but emphasized how it forged a lasting friendship. “This movie, a lot of people don’t realize, was shot in the middle of a writers’ strike, which is one of the most difficult ways to shoot a movie you can imagine,” Reynolds said at the New York premiere.
Reynolds praised Jackman for his professionalism and mentorship during this time: “I got to have the most elegant, kind, intelligent, wickedly disciplined movie star greet me on set, and I got to have that behavior as a model for me at a pretty formative time in my life, and I’m forever grateful to Hugh for that.”
For Jackman, reprising the role of Wolverine after saying goodbye in 2017’s Logan marks a poignant return. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige assured fans that Jackman’s performance remains as formidable as ever, saying, “When people see this movie, it’s not going to feel like someone’s coming back from retirement, it’s going to feel like they’re at the top of their game.”
Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine is also the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a decision that resulted in a resounding amount of creative freedom. Shawn Levy revealed, “We kept waiting for negative reactions… but those requests were never made. We had absolute creative freedom.”
Feige echoed that sentiment, affirming Disney’s support for keeping Deadpool’s identity R-rated: “Ryan is the best arbiter of that… Ryan knows where the line is, and he tackles it and gets over it. But the line is very far.”
Looking ahead, Feige hinted that there is potential for more R-rated Marvel content. “I think where it’s appropriate, of course… there are a few that I can think of where it’s in the DNA of the character, and we’ll do that,” he reportedly said.
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters this Friday, promising fans a highly anticipated reunion and a bold new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.