Marvel Studios delivered one of the year's biggest hits and broke box office records with Deadpool & Wolverine. However, bringing that team-up to the big screen wasn't exactly an easy process.
By now, we're all familiar with the story of how Hugh Jackman decided to don the claws again for an adventure with Ryan Reynolds but what about the versions of this threequel that didn't happen? There have been hints in the past, including one which featured the death of Colossus and another that made Dopinder a co-lead.
Talking to Spider-Man: No Way Home star Andrew Garfield for Variety's Actors on Actors, Reynolds called Marvel Studios and Disney "incredible partners," adding: "It was meant to be, because the first pitch I had for Marvel and Kevin Feige five years ago was a Deadpool-Wolverine movie in the 'Rashomon' style, which is his perspective, then mine, then an objective."
"And they said no," the actor admitted. "So then I pitched the most idiotic movies. One was a Sundance movie I pitched them - no special effects, no conflict. And then I pitched one where it’s a two-hander with me and the hunter who shot Bambi’s mom. Their answer was 'We don’t touch Bambi, Ryan.'"
"So it was like a year and a half of tap dancing until Hugh called and said, 'I want to come back and do this.' I don’t know if you found this in 'We Live in Time,' but there’s an element of, you have to have the confidence to fake it till you make it. Life isn’t a TED Talk; it’s winging it," Reynolds added.
We're not sure how serious he is about that team-up with Bambi's murderer, but you can see why the House of Mouse might have pushed back against that particular suggestion.
Ultimately, Reynolds did get to make the movie he wanted alongside Jackman and the result is arguably one of Marvel Studios' best releases yet (it's certainly a highlight in the often hit-and-miss Multiverse Saga).
What the future holds in store for Wade Wilson remains to be seen, though Reynolds has said he believes the character is best suited to taking on a supporting role. As for Garfield, he could be back as Peter #3 as soon as Spider-Man 4 or the next Avengers movies.
You can check out an excerpt from the interview, along with the full 45+ minute conversation, below.