Life in the world of Ryan Reynolds is pretty good right now. The actor is riding a wave of popularity due to the Deadpool franchise, his social media antics and the fact that he seems more than content in his family life. However, in a recent interview, Reynolds revealed that Deadpool 2 - one of the most talked about films of the year - was nearly completely different.
Deadpool director David Leitch spoke about how the sequel came to be, saying that the script took a diversion from the average superhero movie.
"Deadpool is a reality check for the superhero, comic-book genre,” said Leitch. “The story is built on emotion, and there is a beating heart in the middle of it. And the characters get to have fun and poke fun at the giant comic-book industry that taken over our culture, and be self-reflective about it. I think it’s important to have this universe exist, and not take things so serious, like the other movies.”
Even Morena Baccarin, who returns as Deadpool’s girlfriend, Vanessa, admits that she was surprised when she first read the script for the movie. “Ryan had texted me and said, ‘Keep reading. Don’t stop because there are huge surprises near the end.’ I read the rest of the script, and it was perfect,” said Baccarin.
However, while the final script may have been perfect, Reynolds admits that his first pitch for the sequel wasn't as convincing.
"My first pitch to the studio was not met very well," he told Jimmy Fallon during a recent interview. "I pitched them that the whole story for sequel would be Deadpool trying to steal the big red chair from The Voice. And they were like 'No - that's just the dumbest thing ever.'"
Instead, Reynolds was told to go away and work on a new idea, something which ended up being a blessing in disguise. During the interview, he explains how he also shocked studio bosses by telling them that Brad Pitt was up for starring in the movie as well, but that he would be playing 'The Vanisher' - an invisible character who doesn't talk, and who's only visible for a split-second, before he gets electrocuted and dies.
According to screenwriter Paul Wernick, despite Pitt being the "hardest get in Hollywood" he was able to convince the superstar to be part of the movie as his kids were a big fan of the first one. However, the writer admits that the original script didn't even have a celebrity cameo.
"We never saw Vanisher in the original script," he told Heat Vision. "He was always a mystery. When he got tangled up...we just thought, 'Oh my god, what a perfect idea for a celebrity cameo.' And then we thought, 'Who is the hardest get in Hollywood? Let's call him.'"
Personally, I think a Deadpool 3 where Reynolds steals a chair from The Voice sounds pretty good. Maybe Reynolds has just given away the plot line to what is surely going to be one of the most hotly anticipated movies in recent times.
