Actor Ryan Reynolds, the man that fans everywhere are considering the current torch-bearer for the the future of comic book movies, finally opens up about starring as two iconic characters from competing comic book companies: DC Comics' Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and Marvel Comics' Wade Wilson/Deadpool!
Reynolds told MTV that 2009 has been one of "the most unbelievable" years of his life:
"Starting with setting some goals that I didn't think would be possible several years before, running a marathon, getting married -- the year has been incredible, all across the board. The fact that Green Lantern is something that's about to get going full-steam pretty soon, and then there is Deadpool on the horizon as well. If you asked me if this would be happening three years ago, I would have kick-f---ed you back to where you were from."
Though he may now appear as a shoe-in for both roles, Reynolds said that he had to work hard to see both projects come to fruition:
"It's incredibly validating and gratifying when you can see that you can manifest something that you desperately want or a goal that you have. This is a difficult industry to get anything made, let alone a passion project, so when you see people understand what your vision is and come aligned with that common goal, it's pretty cool. I'm including all the creative types that are actually involved with Deadpool and Green Lantern, because those guys want to make an authentic movie, and that's something a few years ago studios disregarded."
Obviously, getting married to
Scarlett Johansson had to be one of the most memorable events in his life, but the other event that really impacted Reynolds was trying on the Green Lantern suit:
"I think, seeing the prototypes for the Green Lantern costumes was a huge moment. It was a moment when I was like, 'This is happening, and it's happening in the right way.' That's a pretty cool, definitive moment for me."
Many fans were not happy with the portrayal of Deadpool in
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Reynolds said that he shared some of those frustrations:
"It's always difficult to fully embrace something that isn't perfect, in terms of staying true to the source material. So it was a little bit frustrating. I really wanted to play Wade, and I really wanted to play Deadpool, and it would kill me to see someone else play them. I had a kind of ham-fisted attitude that it had to be perfect, but it doesn't. The movie's called Wolverine, it's not called Deadpool or Wade. I thought it was a nice little wink and tip of the hat to things to come. Finding the tone of that character alone is such a difficult prospect. I've been in so many meetings lately about Deadpool and meeting all these writers. Everyone is always looking for that one line, 'What is that character?' and for me it's kind of like, 'There's a guy, and he's in a highly militarized comedic fame spiral.' That's not an easy thing to write -- an entire screenplay, let alone a franchise. I had a blast playing Wade. Every line I had in that was stuff I thought he would say. It wasn't something that a writer said to me. It was fun to really create that character, including everything he spits out of his awful mouth."
Reynolds said that he's "known about" Green Lantern his "whole life," but it wasn't until he met with the film's director that he really made a connection with the character:
"I fell in love with the character when I met with [director] Martin Campbell. When I sat down with him, I really got what it is that this guy is all about. When you have a guy like Martin Campbell, part of his charm is that he has balls of titanium, and the other part is that he's slightly crazy, and you have to be to take on something with the scope of Green Lantern. He's less of the director and more of a general. He just really knows strategies, he knows the intricacies, and his attention to detail! It's infectious. I sat down with him, and I could not even believe what he was saying. When I went to the meeting, I was entirely cynical. I thought, 'What the hell, I'll see what they have to say,' and I left the room with a completely different perspective."