Ryan Reynolds chose to not get paid for 'Deadpool' to get first film made
Just how passionate is Ryan Reynolds about Deadpool? He wanted the first movie to take off so much, that he had to "let go" of his salary.
The actor recently spoke with The New York Times ahead of the release of the third film in the franchise, Deadpool & Wolverine. He talked about how the first movie came about—which involved him paying out of pocket to have his writers Rheet Reese and Paul Wernick to be on set.
"No part of me was thinking when Deadpool was finally greenlit that this would be a success," Ryan said. "I even let go of getting paid to do the movie just to put it back on the screen."
"They wouldn't allow my co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set, so I took the little salary I had left and paid them to be on set with me so we could form a de facto writers room."
Ryan first appeared as the "Merc with a Mouth" in the poorly received X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Seven years later, Deadpool made his return to the big screen with a standalone film in 2016, which spawned a sequel in 2018.
"I think one of the great enemies of creativity is too much time and money, and that movie had neither time nor money. It really fostered focusing on character over spectacle, which is a little harder to execute in a comic book movie. I was just so invested in every micro-detail of it and I hadn't felt like that in a long, long time. I remembered wanting to feel that more—not just on Deadpool but on anything," the actor told the Times.
A third Deadpool movie is coming to theaters on July 26. Aside from Ryan reprising his role as the titular hero, Hugh Jackman also makes his return as Wolverine after last playing the character in the 2017 film Logan.
Deadpool & Wolverine follows Wade Wilson living a quiet life after leaving Deadpool behind. However, the Time Variance Authority suddenly pulls him into a new mission as it faces an existential threat. The merc crosses paths with a recovering Wolverine and they team up to defeat a common enemy.
Watch the trailer for the upcoming film below.