Ryan Reynolds Says He Owes His Entire Career To An Infamous Superhero Flop

Ryan Reynolds has had an enviable career. Best known as the lead of the "Deadpool" movies, which broke box office records by breaking the Marvel mold, he's one of Hollywood's most in-demand A-list actors. But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. He's had his fair share of misfires, perhaps none bigger than 2011's "Green Lantern," which was a sizable flop for DC and Warner Bros. Be that as it may, Reynolds now says he owes his entire career to that movie.

In a recent Entertainment Tonight interview on the red carpet for his new movie "Mayday," Reynolds was asked whether he would be willing to cameo in "Lanterns," the Green Lantern show currently airing on HBO Max. "I would totally do a cameo in that. I love it," Reynolds said in his initial answer to the question before going a bit deeper. In an unexpected move, the actor shared a surprising amount of love for what is oft-considered one of the worst DC Comics movies ever. Here's what he had to say about it:

"I learned so much making that movie. And I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, 'Oh, learned what not to do.' In part, yes. But also, any time you're making something that large, there are core lessons that come of it. I owe my entire career to that movie. I owe everything to that. Everything about it was a gift that keeps on giving. And I really enjoyed the experience of making it."

The infamous DC Comics adaptation was directed by Martin Campbell, who believes Reynolds could have saved "Green Lantern." But he didn't, and against a hulking $200 million budget, it made just $237 million at the box office, with largely lousy reviews. On paper, it's one worth forgetting.

To be fair, Ryan Reynolds isn't necessarily defending the movie, in which he plays Hal Jordan, as some overlooked gem or anything like that. He's been critical of it, even inserting "Green Lantern" jokes into "Deadpool." Reynolds has also said he knows why "Green Lantern" bombed at the box office, blaming the studio's desire to throw money at problems rather than focus on the story.

"With 'Green Lantern,' I don't think anyone ever figured out exactly what it was," Reynolds said in a 2016 interview, contrasting how "Deadpool" succeeded where his ill-fated DC superhero flick did not. "That isn't to say the hundreds of men and women didn't work their fingers to the bone to make it as good as possible," he said. "It also fell victim to the process in Hollywood, which is like poster first, release date second, script last."

What Reynolds appears to be saying, upon reflection, is that there were a lot of lessons learned working on that movie. He learned what not to do when it came to bringing "Deadpool" to life. It taught him what filmmaking is like on the largest scale imaginable. Also, not for nothing, he starred alongside his now-wife Blake Lively. So it's not all bad.

There may also be a reappraisal of sorts some 15 years later. "Green Lantern" recently became one of HBO Max's biggest streaming hits, in no small part due to the release of "Lanterns." Whether that means people actually like it now is another question entirely, but the actor who played Hal Jordan, at the very least, has some appreciation for it.

"Mayday" is streaming now on Apple TV.