STACK May 2016 Issue 139

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R ight now, Deadpool is the highest
grossing R-rated film (an American R
equals MA15+ here) in history. Its
cinematic run, still ongoing in many countries,
has yielded almost 800 million dollars
worldwide. It’s the highest grossing entry in the
X-Men film series and the third highest grossing
movie of the year so far.
It has also been well received by critics. One review
called Deadpool, “...a funny, bloody comedy that is the
Marvel Universe’s biggest breath of fresh air since
Guardians of the Galaxy .” But this wasn’t the first attempt
to commit the iconic character, famously branded ‘The
Merc with the Mouth’, to the screen. It also wasn’t the
first time Ryan Reynolds had played the role.
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In 2004, Reynolds appeared as Hannibal King in
David Goyer’s Blade: Trinity. Critics and audiences
alike rated the film poorly, but a studio executive
detected a similarity between Reynolds’ performance
and the disposition of another Marvel Comics
property, Deadpool. The executive passed on a
stack of Deadpool comics to Reynolds. It sparked
an interest in both the actor and Goyer. The latter
eventually lost interest and moved on to co-write
Batman Begins with Christopher Nolan, and the
Deadpool project faded away.
Reynolds’ enthusiasm didn’t wane, however.
When he heard about the inclusion of Deadpool
in Gavin Hood’s now notorious X-Men Origins:
Wolverine, he actively campaigned for the
There’s never been a
character like Deadpool,
and Ryan Reynolds plays him
as though he was born
to play the role.
– Stan Lee
"They did everything wrong and it turned out right." Deadpool's unconventional
journey to the screen reflects its title character, writes John Roebuck.
BETTER OFF
DEADPOOL