Ryan Reynolds' Performance Had Deadpool Director Calling Cut So He Could Cry
Tim Miller's 2016 film "Deadpool" was a shot in the arm for the superhero genre. In 2016, superheroes were still standing astride the Earth like a mighty Colossus, and armies of loyal fans were still attending Avengers movies in droves, eagerly taking notes and running off to record podcasts about what might be next in line for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The world took these lightweight power fantasies very, very seriously, and superheroes dominated the conversation unlike any genre before. "Deadpool" was a slapstick spoof of superhero movies, deliberately constructed to take the piss out of the genre. The title character, played by Ryan Reynolds, often talked to the audience directly, happily pointing out the flaws and cliches of the very story he was living through.
Deadpool was an established X-Men supporting player, so the deconstruction was coming from inside the house. "Deadpool" ultimately didn't dismantle the superhero genre's popularity — that was a combination of overexposure, a virus, a strike, and "Morbius" — but it felt like he might in 2016. "Deadpool" felt ever so slightly dangerous.
Of course, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is due in theaters this July, and that film will fold Deadpool into the MCU. So much for danger.
Danger or not, Reynolds seems to have found a magic bullet with Deadpool. The character's self-aware snark perfectly matched Reynolds' flippant sense of humor, and Deadpool's capabilities as a violent vigilante matched Reynolds' matinee-idol abs. His performance is hilarious, injecting some much-needed crassness into cinemas. According to a 2016 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds' performance was so perfect, he even made director Tim Miller weep with joy. Like the rest of the world, Miller was astonished that "Deadpool" was working as well as it did.
Then I lie in bed and think of her, sometimes I even weep
Miller and Reynolds, the actor recalled, were wholly copacetic on the set of "Deadpool." They both seemed to have a clear vision of both the character and exactly how they wanted the film to look. Reynolds also produced the film and improvised a lot of dialogue, making it almost entirely his project. Reynolds wasn't a credited screenwriter until "Deadpool 2," however. Miller oversaw production and called out bad takes if they ever arose. When things worked, though, Reynolds recalled seeing Miller bursting into tears. The actor said:
"There will be a scene where I am punching everything and calling everyone a motherf***er, and then Tim calls cut, and he is just weeping. I am an easy cry. [...] But when something didn't work, Tim wouldn't call 'Cut!' He just yells 'Wrong!'"
This kind of relationship, it should be noted, came after years of development. "Deadpool" was made only after a lot of tooth-pulling at 20th Century Fox, requiring a lot of pitches, re-pitches, and impassioned convincing to get the flick up on the screen. Reynolds had previously played Deadpool in Gavin Hood's 2009 film "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and the character's fans appreciated the casting, but hated the dramatic alterations the filmmakers made to the character. Already associated with Deadpool, Reynolds wanted to make the film "properly," retaining the look and attitude of the original Marvel Comics. Reynolds said:
"For me, it has been an 11-year journey. [...] It felt like a s***ty relationship. We would be at the altar and then the wedding would be off and on and off, and then finally we did it."
That was likely why Miller wept. He was so happy to finally be doing it.