Ryan Reynolds fought tooth and nail to bring Deadpool to the screen, and Deadpool returned the favor by filling up his bank account.

After years of begging, pleading, and probably threatening to leak embarrassing photos of Fox execs, Deadpool finally made it to the big screen in 2016. Yes, it was quite a struggle. And since then, the Merc with a Mouth has not only saved the MCU but also resurrected Ryan Reynolds’ career from the dead. Well, it is not entirely true, as there would be no Deadpool on screen if Reynolds hadn’t invested his entire life into the character.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) | 20th Century Studios

Reynolds took a not-so-established villain in the films and made him a household name. Fans thus will always rally behind the guy who refused to let go of this crazy, foul-mouthed character. In short, it is a love story, as there wouldn’t be one without the other.

Ryan Reynolds Went Through Hell to Bring Deadpool to the Screen!

Deadpool has been a fan favorite since his 1991 comic debut. Although X-Men Origins: Wolverine, did do quite a lot of damage, people still expected a Wade Wilson solo ride. Yet, the standalone project spent over a decade stuck in development as 20th Century Fox hesitated to back an R-rated superhero flick that poked fun at the genre. When Deadpool finally hit theaters, it defied expectations with a phenomenal $780 million worldwide haul on a shoestring $58 million budget. Naturally, a sequel was on the horizon.

Deadpool 2 arrived in 2018, but not without its own drama. Director Tim Miller exited the project after creative differences with star Ryan Reynolds. David Leitch then took over as director. Reynolds later shared with the LA Times the behind-the-scenes struggles with Fox and the Deadpool saga’s tumultuous path to the screen. He revealed,

For me, the saga starts in 2005, when I was first introduced to “Deadpool” and kind of officially commited to doing it.It would vanish off the radar, then it would come back. It was a real sort of emotional yo-yo. I’ve always likened it to the worst relationship I’ve ever been in: on-again, off-again, occasionally sleeping together, which just causes more pain. And then finally it ended in a really lovely wedding.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool | 20th Century Studios

Tim Miller while speaking with Entertainment Weekly also revealed the chaos behind the scenes,

I wrote an email once a month or so to the Fox executives, saying ‘Please tell me who I have to f— to get this going?’ And the answer was, ‘It’s not the right time, we appreciate your passion.’ I wrote a lot of emails and I’m sure I annoyed the s— out of them

Then came the game-changing test footage leak, which gave fans a glimpse of the real Deadpool, a far cry from the 2009 version. The internet exploded, and Fox suddenly saw the potential of the Merc with a Mouth. Within two months, the project was greenlit! Hilariously the final Deadpool screenplay turned out to be almost identical to the one Fox had rejected back in 2011 as per Miller.

Since then, Reynolds and the team have been cooking up ways to make Deadpool even bigger and better. The ultimate fruit of their labor? Deadpool & Wolverine, a dream Ryan Reynolds had been nurturing for over two decades. From a lesser-known villain to the movie buffs to an MCU savior, Deadpool’s journey is nothing short of legendary.

How Deadpool Returned the Favor?

However, it’s also true that Deadpool has had a transformative impact on Ryan Reynolds’ career like no other. Beyond smashing records, Deadpool & Wolverine’s success has been a career lifeline for Reynolds. Before Deadpool, Reynolds was carving out a niche for himself in Hollywood, he had hits like The Proposal and Just Friends, but none of these roles truly ignited his acting soul or catapulted him to superstardom.

Deadpool on the other hand, with its massive comic book fan base, was known in the genre but was relatively under the radar outside of it. That’s where Reynolds’ undeniable charm came into play. The two helped each other to get where they are today. And fans agree, it’s a perfect partnership that saved Reynolds’ career and turned Deadpool into a phenomenon.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine | Marvel Studios/20th Century Studios

Here is what the fans have to say about it,

Thanks to Reynolds’ years of dedication, audiences are now witnessing the rewards of his hard work on screen. Fans are eager to see more of the unhinged Wade Wilson, as they can never get enough of his chaotic charm.

Deadpool & Wolverine is playing in theaters.