(Image source: Marvel Studios)
The latest season premiere of Variety's "Actors on Actors" immediately delivered a dream pairing: "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds and "Spider-Man" actor Andrew Garfield. While the duo initially drew criticism and sparked debate among netizens before the episode aired, the show's schedule remained unaffected and proceeded as planned.
During their conversation, Garfield, curious about Deadpool's future in the MCU, asked Reynolds about the character's trajectory. Reynolds candidly shared his ideal vision for the Merc with a Mouth.
Reynolds began by noting the "Deadpool" franchise has demanded a significant amount of his time and energy. "I don't know what the plans are for the future, honestly, I'm not lying, I really don't know," he stated. "My feeling is that there are two directions where this character works particularly well. The first is the surprise generated by rarity. You know, it's been six years since the last installment, and one reason for such a long gap is that this film took me a full six years. I had to personally oversee every minute, all the way from development to post-production, and then to marketing and promotion."
(Image source: Variety)
Reynolds then admitted he now prioritizes spending more time with his children. "I have four children, and I don't want to be an absentee father," he explained. "I don't want to miss their growth. Whenever I see them participate in a competition or sport that I wasn't personally there to witness, I try my best to suppress my emotions... So I really don't know what Deadpool's future is. I only know that Shawn (Levy, the director) and I made a film that has a beginning and an end, a complete story, without setting up the next installment, and I like that result. Sometimes, you just have to make some space and let the movie focus on telling its own story."
(Image source: Variety)
Reynolds ultimately hinted that he hopes Deadpool will transition into a supporting role in the future. "On the other hand, I tend to see Deadpool more as a supporting character than a lead," he elaborated. "Sometimes we position him as the lead because that's what others want him to be. If you're going to make him the lead, you have to take away all his advantages and design a situation where he's an 'underdog,' and I don't think I can keep doing that. If he's going to return, it has to be in other characters' films, like Channing Tatum really wants to do a 'Gambit' movie. I would be very happy to play a secondary role in his or someone else's movie."
Reynolds cited Garfield's supporting role in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as an approach he greatly admired. He noted that the phenomenal cultural wave sparked by "No Way Home"'s storyline greatly impressed him, and the subsequent sensation caused by "Deadpool & Wolverine"'s cameo cast also allowed him to experience a similar emotional impact.