Ryan Reynolds’ initial concept for Deadpool & Wolverine aimed to mirror a Japanese classic made by Akira Kurosawa called Rashomon.

Ryan Reynolds has long been simmering with ideas for a Deadpool and Wolverine team-up. His desire for a Deadpool movie dates back to 2003, with an added twist as he envisioned a more classic approach for the pairing.

Reynolds once shared his initial concept with Kevin Feige, pitching a film like the Japanese Classic Rashomon, where Wolverine and Deadpool find themselves in a shared adventure, yet each character’s perspective tells a different tale. While this idea didn’t come to fruition, it’s undeniably intriguing.

Ryan Reynolds Initially Pitched a Rashomon-esque Idea for Deadpool & Wolverine

For the unversed, Rashomon, by Akira Kurosawa, is a classic film that explores the subjectivity of truth through the retelling of a crime from multiple perspectives. Each narrative offers a different interpretation of events, leaving the audience to wonder about the elusive nature of truth and human nature’s complexity.

It was a masterpiece, and Ryan Reynolds, being a genius, wanted to do a Rashomon-esque story for Deadpool & Wolverine when they finally came together on the big screen. In a 2021 X post, he revealed,

Though the project and its concept were incredibly unique and intriguing, its execution meant significant challenges. When Reynolds initially pitched this idea to Feige, Deadpool’s future seemed uncertain. Despite the success of his two blockbuster films under 20th Century Fox, the Disney-Fox acquisition raised numerous questions about his continuity.

Kevin Feige ultimately turned down the idea. However, this wasn’t the only concept Ryan Reynolds had envisioned for the movie. It’s evident that his film is the culmination of years of hard work by numerous individuals. Reynolds isn’t merely an actor bringing the character to life, he also dedicates a considerable amount of time to shaping the character’s origins and story, exploring how it can be executed.

Reasons Why Kevin Feige Turned Down Ryan Reynolds’ Idea

In a recent interview with Empire, Kevin Feige and Ryan Reynolds dig deep into the extensive brainstorming sessions that led to Deadpool’s transition to Marvel.

They discussed the meticulous process of bringing this film to life, detailing the decisions behind its story and the ideas they ultimately discarded. Feige began by shedding light on why he dismissed the Rashomon concept, he explained,

The truth is, I wasn’t even sure how to incorporate Deadpool yet, I was very much thinking about how to bring mutants and the X-Men into [the MCU], and I thought it needed to be more than just playing the hits. But the truth is, Ryan is an idea machine. So he may have pitched that to me, but he also pitched 25 other thoughts and ideas.

Ryan Reynolds also revealed his intrigue behind the Rashomon concept and shared how its rejection didn’t deter him. Instead, he dived deeper into cooking up ideas, generating an additional 18 ideas for the movie. He said,

It was a way to make a large-scale movie in a very small way. —I went back to the drawing board, and I wrote up about 18 different treatments, Some of them almost like a Sundance film, a budget of under $10 million, sort of using the IP in a way that they previously hadn’t used, and I pitched bigger movies, and I pitched things in-between.

Fans are thrilled that Deadpool and Wolverine are finally joining forces after much anticipation and curiosity. With the release day drawing near, excitement for the movie is through the roof. Many believe that this movie is precisely what the MCU needs to regain its momentum. Speculations indicate that it will be one of the biggest films of 2024, and people are pretty sure that the movie will exceed these expectations.

Deadpool & Wolverine will hit the theaters on July 26th.