Ryan Reynolds will be reprising his role of Wade Wilson’s Deadpool in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, but acting isn’t his only role in his MCU debut.
Ryan Reynolds is already putting his stamp on the MCU, as he is accomplishing a feat in Deadpool & Wolverine that no other Marvel Studios actor has matched. Shortly after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox was finalized in 2019, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds confirmed that the Merc-with-a-Mouth would be making the permanent move into the MCU proper. Reynolds previously appeared as Deadpool in Fox’s Deadpool and Deadpool 2 – after a false start in X-Men Origins: Wolverine – but will bring his costumed antihero into the MCU in Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine.
After a series of delays amid 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Deadpool & Wolverine finally wrapped filming in January 2024, with the first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine being released only a couple of weeks later. Marking the returns of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, several characters from Fox’s Deadpool franchise, and some surprise cameos from Fox’s other X-Men movies, Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most highly-anticipated projects in the MCU’s Phase 5. Aside from being jam-packed with mutant superhero action, Deadpool & Wolverine is also already breaking records for the MCU, thanks to Ryan Reynolds’ involvement.
Ryan Reynolds Had A Huge Role In Deadpool & Wolverine’s Development
Ryan Reynolds’ passion for the character of Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, has been evident since he was first billed to play the anithero back in 2004. This commitment has only increased over the years, with Deadpool & Wolverine marking a huge shift in Reynolds’ filmmaking role, as he wasn’t only an actor in Deadpool & Wolverine, but has also received writer and producer credits. This is the first time that any MCU actor has been credited as a writer and producer for their own MCU project, proving just how hands-on Ryan Reynolds has been in bringing Deadpool into the MCU.
4 Other MCU Actors Hold A Different Marvel Movie Record
While Ryan Reynolds is the first actor to receive writer and producer credits for their own MCU movie, several other actors have broken a different record for Marvel Studios. Four of the MCU’s previous directors have actually appeared as characters in the MCU, which dates back to the very beginning of the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man. As well as directing Iron Man, Jon Favreau appeared in the project as Harold “Happy” Hogan, Tony Stark’s best friend, and Favreau continues to play Hogan, making his most recent appearances in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and 2023’s What If…? season 2.
As well as Jon Favreau, Taika Waititi has portrayed Korg in the MCU, debuting in Thor: Ragnarok and reappearing in Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. James Gunn also made a cameo appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Lambshank, a High Evolutionary experiment who was originally intended for Stan Lee. Joe Russo, one half of the Russo brothers, also appeared as different characters in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It’s unclear whether director Shawn Levy will cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, but he could join this esteemed club.
