Don’t be fooled.
The seeming “feud” between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and their respective characters— Deadpool and Wolverine—on social media is not real.
The two are actually the best of friends. And this friendship has given birth to their latest collaboration, the superhero film “Deadpool & Wolverine” based on Marvel Comics and featuring their characters.
The story begins six years after the events of “Deadpool 2” (2018), when Wade Wilson (Reynolds) lives a quiet life, leaving his time as the mercenary Deadpool behind him. That is, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA) puts him on a new mission and he joins a reluctant Wolverine as well in a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
We were able to interview the cast and filmmakers in a virtual press conference and they were able to share more insights into the making of this unique collaboration.
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Writer, Producer)
When you heard that Disney owned Fox and that Deadpool was gonna be in the MCU, what was your reaction and expectation?
I had no expectations. I’ve built a career on really having as few expectations as possible. It does prevent crippling disappointment. I’d met Kevin and we had a great meeting. This was five years ago. Six years ago, was our first chat about the movie. It was a very slow process. It wasn’t so much about pitching different ideas, which I did pitch many different ideas, but it was about pitching ideas that both of us genuinely clicked with. Then of course, Shawn and I were shooting “Adam Project” in Vancouver and I said to him, “Look, I think the only way I would do this is if I was not just writing this with you, and of course Rhett (Reese), Paul (Wernick), and Zeb (Wells). Rhett and Paul have been with me since the first movie. I’ve been writing with those guys since the first movie. But if you direct it, I would be doing this.”
Then Shawn just basically took his white glove off and slapped the side of my face with it like some sort of ’20s harlot and said, “My glove to your damned insolent cheek, child.” And then for some reason after that said yes. And we’ve been on this insane, wonderful journey ever since. Of course, none of this became reality until Mr. Hugh Jackman decided one day to levitate down from the clouds or whatever sort of heaven nest he lives in and bless us with his presence in this film. But that’s really when everything clicked.”
What did you learn about Hugh that you did not know before making this film?
I’ve known Hugh for a long time. My first experience with a proper big-ass movie star was Hugh Jackman in 2008.
So, yeah, Harold Johnson or Jackson, or however you pronounce it, he was the Wolverine. I stepped onto that set on “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which is during a really tough time.
It was not unlike this year when we had a writer’s strike, so very hard to make a movie in the midst of that. I watched him as a leader, as a human being, led with kindness and class. I remember I had a moment where I felt like I could have done a scene better.
At the end of the day, everyone was kind of ready to go home. Hugh just fired up the set, turned out— [laughs] had all the lights, turned back on. Everyone was zipping their costumes back up, and he gave me one more crack at it, and I just remember thinking, “God, if I’m ever even orbiting anywhere near that guy’s footprint, I hope I’m something even remotely resembling his level of class and kindness and professionalism.”
And now, being up close and personal and getting this experience with him, I had a front-row seat to a guy; what I got to see day in and day out with a person with that kind of control over his voice and his body because this movie’s incredibly physical for him.
Seeing a person who’s cumulatively acquired a lifetime of choreography, of learning and unlearning and relearning all of these different things, controlling his voice, Broadway, all those things, all of that being ultra-applicable to the most aggressive violent character in the MCU, was so interesting to me.
And having those, just being a foot away from his eyes and the kind of clarity that he had as this character and as a human being, it was enlightening, and it was something that, this isn’t hyperbole, it was a privilege that I did not once take for granted.
If Peggy the Dog (Dogpool) could talk, who would she say is her favorite person on set? And when you were in scenes with her, did W.C. Fields’ old adage, “Never work with children or animals” ever come to mind?
My favorite W.C. Fields quote is, “Yes, I’ve been to Philadelphia. I’ve spent a year there. I think it was a Sunday.”
Which I think is one of the greatest one-liners of all time. I think Peggy quite liked me or salmon paste in my mouth.
There is a sequence in the film where Peggy and I, well, she explores my mouth using only her leathery, leathery tongue, which honestly looks like a Slim Jim commercial with Randy “Macho Man” Savage snapping off a [overlap].
Her tongue, that’s the real thing. Oh, one hundred percent. And this microphone actually picks up both smell and pheromones.
A little taste there. Peggy is incredible. Peggy went really from zero to hero, though, in this movie. I’m not kidding. Peggy won the UK’s Ugliest Dog Competition, which frankly, I think is cruel.
A cruel contest. They’re very kind to the dogs, but Peggy is a real testament. My character, Wade Wilson, falls in love with Peggy because Peggy is the sort of dog version of me.
Outcast, doesn’t look right, you know? But Jules and the training team behind this little girl just stepped up and took her from just an absolute pain in the ass to the most wonderful actor in this entire film. Genuine. Like what a treat. My kids are obsessed with Peggy. They were here yesterday, and they saw me.
Mary Puppins as we call her, or Dogpool. She has an Instagram account if anyone’s curious: @dogpool. I’m sure Feige paid a lot of money for that. Hashtag “worth it.”
What inspired you to include Stray Kids for the soundtrack?
I’ve kind of tangentially known them now a little bit better than before but for years. Really, it’s more to do with South Korea understands how to make gigantic global impressions in culture, through film, through music, art of any kind.
There’s something about whatever the wind is blowing through Seoul and its surrounding areas, that just is sticky to culture. And you know, K-pop is certainly one aspect of that.
Years ago, the Stray Kids, we just called them the Kids. They did a Deadpool-inspired music video, which I saw, which I thought was phenomenal. Then I reached out to one of the members and he and I became fast digital friends. Now we’ve met in person.
The initial plan, I’ll say I’ve never said this out loud before, was the initial film was to have them appear in the film. But with the strike happening in the middle and so many other issues, it became logistically impossible. I will never forget the look on our line producer’s face when I said that there were eight of them.
Hugh Jackman (Wolverine)
We know that you had hung up the Wolverine suit after Logan. What made you want to come back?
The real suit. No. [laughs] I watched “Deadpool” three days after announcing that Logan would be my last, and I remember thinking oops. Because I could see the movie. Listen, this wasn’t new to me ever since I played Wolverine, people have been talking about Deadpool and Wolverine and their rivalry from the comic books. Then of course, we had a sort of go at it with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
But I could feel it. I could see it. It was “Midnight Run.” It was “48 Hours.” It was “The Odd Couple,” “Trains, Planes, Automobiles.” It was all these great matchups that I could feel. We toyed with the idea, but it was August 14th, 2022, and I don’t know why. I just knew every cell in my body was yelling at me, I wanna do this movie. So much so that I pulled my car over from the side of the road and I rang Ryan immediately. Because I knew that they were getting close to filming. I thought they may have even been filming. I asked him and thankfully he said yes.
What did you learn about Ryan that you did not know before making this film?
I want to really speak to the side of Ryan as a writer and as a producer. I did know these things. I have obviously been around Ryan with writing, and I’ve been around him and seen him, but not in a film with him as a producer.
Or in a film with him as a writer, and it’s the generosity of both. He’s all over it. There’s a lot of actors who have producer written after them but with Ryan, it is a hundred percent. He and Shawn led from the front in every way. And what Matthew said is true. They created an atmosphere that was simultaneously free, fun, and playful.
But also, everyone expecting and helping each other to be at their best. That’s a fine line to balance. As a writer, his generosity in being able to look after everybody else’s character even more than his own. Being involved a little bit with edits and cuts, seeing how he will sacrifice even great moments for his character for the betterment of the movie. That kind of generosity. He can’t speak because he’ll self-deprecate and undercut. And I can speak to it.
What was it like for you to be able to explore so many different variants of Wolverine and do you have a favorite?
It was fantastic. I’m going to say the highlight. We were sort of joking a bit before, but the highlight was putting on that suit, the yellow and blue suit. It had been talked about from the very beginning. Those conversations were there. It wasn’t like it was never mentioned. But it was at the beginning of 1999, just universally or I don’t know if universally, but I’m sure you’d disagree.
I got it after all these years. And then it sort of became like, I don’t know if we can make it work. I don’t know if we can. And the moment I put it on, I remember walking out there with Ryan on set, him in the Deadpool (suit), me in the yellow and blue, amongst this crew that had done hundreds of movies and seen everything.
There was just a hush, and you could feel that everyone was like, going, oh, okay. This is a moment that should’ve happened 24 years ago.
One of the coolest moments of my career. I just can’t imagine doing it any other way.
In terms of the variants, it was so cool. I was given, actually, on the very first movie, a thing which I had framed, which was a collection. Imagine like trading cards, but not cut up. So, it was just a sheet of trading cards of all the different Wolverine variants. There would’ve had to have been 60 on that, maybe 50 or 60.
And so, I’ve had it next to my bed in Australia and I look at it all the time. And I just think, wow, the pirate, wow, the samurai. Like, how could you pull that off? And all of a sudden, this movie, I’m like, oh, yeah. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Not the part, by the way. Anyway, it was really cool. My favorite? I think of the variants, I love Patch. There’s something about Patch that ticked a little James Bond.
Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova)
What was your experience like working on your first Marvel Studios film?
I felt very overwhelmed and nervous at first, to be entering this huge universe. But the moment we stepped onto the set, it felt really intimate. These guys (Levy, Reynolds) have an amazing way of making it feel like although a part of this huge legacy, it’s like a really beautiful small family when you’re on set. Anything’s possible. There are no wrong choices, no wrong answers. It’s amazing.
What was the set like with Shawn Levy at the helm?
Ooh. The best, one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, I think, on a set. Shawn leads with such generosity but such vision as well.
You always feel like you’re so comfortable because he’s in such control of the set. He is the most enthusiastic person I think I’ve ever met. Shawn has this energy that does not wane for a single second, and I don’t know how he does it because Shawn must have had so much in his head the entire time. There’s so much asked of him as a director and as writer as well on a project like this, of this scale, and he didn’t feel it, like, for one second. He creates an atmosphere that’s so gorgeous and welcoming, and there’s boundless creativity and opportunity to play.
I don’t think my character would be anything without Shawn’s leadership.
Shawn also has the memory of an elephant. He would be in the middle of this very complex day, shooting this wild scene with stunts and Shawn would come up to you and be like, “So you once said that thing about your grandma.” You’re just like, “What?” It’s absolutely amazing!
It’s a testament to genuine care, and that’s also really special to find.
What interested you the most about Cassandra and how was it for you as an actor working on the tone of absurdity and profanity signature to this franchise?
I think absurdity was a fun one that really piqued my interest in joining the Deadpool universe, in particular. And bring Cassandra to it, obviously with everything that we know in love about her origin story with her relationship with Charles Xavier and that.
That was the key to it for me because I think the term villain is a great one and we all know that villains have the most fun. But I think for me, I really needed to find a key into what made her tick, find that side to empathize with her.
For me, that was her relationship with her brother. You guys will see in this film, through her interactions with Wolverine, that’s explored with obviously the history of the X-Men and everything. So, that was really fun. There was a lot of scope. It was a big sandbox. We all got to try out loads of different things. Cassandra in particular, Shawn and I realized as we were going through the film, who she would become. And that was a really fun process.
Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Paradox)
What was your experience like working on your first Marvel Studios film?
Shawn has a great gift of giving everybody confidence, enthusiasm and excitement. It’s a very, very happy set led by this man (Levy) and this man (Reynolds). So, to come into something fresh and new is just thrilling. It could be very scary, and it wasn’t. It was just lovely.
What was the set like with Shawn Levy at the helm?
I agree with what Emma said. I couldn’t have put it better myself. The thing for an actor, the bottom line, the thing you dream of, is for a director to give you confidence, if nothing else, to give you confidence. Shawn not only leads that in abundance. I never felt scared to try anything or to do anything or to get it wrong. And especially on a film of this scale. It’s liberating, and it’s wonderful.
Shawn Levy (Director)
What made directing Deadpool and Wolverine your perfect entry into the MCU as a director?
I was really lucky because I got to be the first filmmaker to put this duo together onscreen. The MCU is always at its best when it is giving us something that we don’t expect. Under this banner, you have the capacity for a Ragnarok to sit alongside a Black Panther and an Ironman. This ability to surprise us is the MCU at its best. We had an opportunity collectively to do the first R-rated MCU movie and the first pairing of Deadpool and Wolverine. So, built into this opportunity was the chance to surprise and to do something new and unexpected.
What encouragement or advice can you give to young creatives hoping to push the envelope the way you’ve done with this movie?
It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot because this movie is in many ways, and it’s something I’ve talked about with my friends, Hugh and Ryan, it is a culmination of so many things I dreamed about for so long. As a kid, as a younger filmmaker.
So, the encouragement I would give is, you don’t know the outcome. It’s not an outcome until you stop making things. I thought, oh, okay, I guess I’ll do Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows. Then that led to movies. Then I thought, okay, well I’ll be the family comedy guy with my “Cheaper by the Dozen” and my “Night at the Museum.” Then “Real Steel” led to this brotherhood and a branch out of comedy. One thing, you do not know what’s around the corner. Keep making things.
Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios, Producer)
What does the trio of Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman bring to the MCU?
The simplest answer is they have brought this movie to the MCU. And this movie is amazing. What Shawn has done with this movie and what Ryan and Hugh have done bringing to the MCU, not only everything we know they can do with these characters, but the camaraderie and friendship and love that Shawn harnessed between the two of them, through the script, onto the camera and the screen is remarkable. And Peggy the Dog even sat up when I said that because she knew.
How important is “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the MCU? And from your P.O.V., in what ways does it mark a before and after for the saga?
Every movie is important. But the most important thing is a great movie. And Shawn, Ryan and Hugh and this whole team have made a great movie.
So, there’s nothing better for Cinematic Universe than a great movie coming out. The before and after, I think a lot of people talk about the R rating.
Is every movie going to be R-rated after this? Of course not. But I hope every movie after this embraces its tonality the way Deadpool does, and the way this team was able to do on “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Now that we have the characters from the X-Men world and the mutants, that we haven’t had access to before, this is the beginning of that, and everything post- “Deadpool & Wolverine” will be the mutant era coming into the MCU.
Was there ever anything considered too much or too far with this film?
People do think that Ryan would just run so far, and you have to pull him back. As he was saying before, Ryan, as co-writer, as one of the producers, is the most responsible and is the most conscious of where a line is. I remember he said something early on, which is Deadpool always punches up because it’s funny, he never punches down because that’s mean.
Wendy Jacobson (Producer)
How was it to see the fan’s reactions to “Deadpool and Wolverine” firsthand on your global tour stops?
Honestly, it’s just so totally electrifying. It gets me so fired up. It just really allowed me to reconnect with my own inner fandom because before I got the incredible opportunity to work on this film, I was just a huge fan of these two characters. So, to see everyone as equally as excited as I am, it’s just thrilling.
Was there ever anything considered too much or too far with this film?
We all went into this movie eyes wide open, knowing we were making a Deadpool film, right? And so, no, nothing ever went too far. I think Kevin put it very eloquently that there’s a real egalitarianism in being insulted by Deadpool. Nothing is sacred. So, really, it’s a badge of honor to be made fun of by Deadpool.
—MGP, GMA Integrated News
