How Blade: Trinity Got Ryan Reynolds Deadpool
With Deadpool and Wolverine having just been released in theaters, it’s worth talking about how Ryan Reynolds even got the role of Deadpool. It was actually all due to another Marvel movie series, specifically, Blade: Trinity. Though the movie is generally considered not good, it does deserve some recognition for giving fans the perfect Deadpool.
Eight years ago, while talking with Google, Ryan Reynolds explained the full story. In Blade Trinity, Ryan played a very similar character to Deadpool named Hannibal King.
Deadpool And Hannibal King
The two characters from Blade Trinity and Deadpool are incredibly similar. Not only were their personalities and crass behaviors similar, but both regularly dual-wield swords and were experienced with firearms.
There are a few other similarities in their stories and backgrounds as well. While the characters from Deadpool and Blade Trinity aren’t perfect replicas, they are similar enough for fans to see the overlap. This is exactly what worked in Ryan’s favor after filming Blade Trinity.
A rival executive from another studio ended up watching a part of Blade Trinity and sought Ryan out after seeing his character in the film. He ended up telling the actor that he was perfect to play Wade Wilson from Deadpool.
Blade: Trinity Introduced Reynolds To Comics
Ryan Reynolds admits that at the time—2004, when Blade Trinity finished filming—he didn’t have a clue who Deadpool was. But the producer was adamant that if they ever adapted the comic book character into a film, Ryan would be perfect and the only person who could accurately play the character.
Deadpool Referenced Ryan Reynolds A Decade Earlier
To get his point across, the producer sent Ryan several Deadpool comics to show the Blade Trinity actor what he meant. Ryan mentioned during the interview that the first comic he opened up had his name. It described Wade Wilson as a cross between “Ryan Reynolds and a shar-pei.”
Ryan, though not a big graphic novel fan, quickly fell in love with the character. Soon, he was just as excited to play Deadpool as the executive producer was to cast him in the role. With Blade Trinity coming out in 2004 and the first Deadpool not being released until 2016, it was Reynolds who had to basically force the studio to finally give him the Deadpool movie he wanted.
The False Start
It’s hard to say for certain, but it does seem that if Blade Trinity had never come out, fans wouldn’t have the perfect Deadpool actor. However, between the two films, Ryan was in dozens of other movies like The Amityville Horror, Fireflies in the Garden, The Proposal, and The Voices, so it is possible that he could have made a big enough name for himself to be noticed at some point. He also played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and showed how well he did in the role there.
Deadpool & Wolverine Completes The Circle
Unfortunately, Blade Trinity is not easy to get a hold of, as it’s only available to rent on platforms like AppleTV and Amazon Video, and you’ll definitely want to watch the first two before jumping into the third. Deadpool and Wolverine is currently in theaters and will be on Disney+ when it comes to streaming platforms.
Source: Talks at Google
