Deadpool and Wolverine has proven to be a massive hit for Marvel Studios, but entering into R-rated territory for the first time was a risk that wasn't lost on star/producer Ryan Reynolds, who already had some reservations about revisiting the Merc With a Mouth after six years.
While reflecting on the production during an appearance at the Fast Company Innovation Festival (via Deadline), the Wade Wilson actor revealed the four words of advice Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige offered that "haunted" him during the writing process.
"He said something that sounds very pedantic and is probably not the thing to say out loud, but actually, weirdly, served as a creative engine," Reynolds told the audience. "He was like, 'Make every scene great.' And I was like, 'Thanks, Kev. Sounds good.'"
Reynolds went on to admit that Feige's words ended up playing on his mind while working on the script. "[They] haunted me. ‘Make it great’ – that’s hard.” He also brought up the one line Disney's Bob Iger asked him to remove - but still wasn't willing to divulge any details!
“There was only one line in the entire film that they asked me to take out,” Reynolds said, before headed off any attempt to get him to reveal it. “No. No. No! And they were right!”
“As soon as somebody says something, like, ‘Ryan, Bob Iger here. Would love it if you’d take that one line out. It’s really going to make our life hard over here.’ As soon as they say that, there’s just something in my brain that goes, ‘Must keep line! Precious!’ And then as soon as the fog of war lifts and you have a second thought, it’s like, ‘Of course I can take that out. Can I say something about Pinocchio instead? And the answer is yes!”
Reynolds has previously promised to take that line "to his grave," but it's certain to come out eventually!
You can check out our review of Deadpool and Wolverine here.
The MPAA gave the movie an official R-rating for: "Strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore, and sexual references."
“Marvel Studios presents their most significant mistake to date - Deadpool & Wolverine," reads the new synopsis. "A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier... reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to - F*ck. Synopses are so f*cking stupid.”
In addition to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the title roles, Deadpool and Wolverine will see Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Rob Delaney (Peter), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) And Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio) return as their respective characters, and they'll be joined by franchise newcomers Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), who will play a TV agent and Charles Xavier's evil counterpart, Cassandra Nova.
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool and Wolverine from a script by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells.