There are some actors who seem destined to play certain characters and Ryan Reynolds most certainly qualifies with his turn as Marvel’s Deadpool. His performance garnered instant acclaim, as Deadpool went on to be the highest-grossing film in the X-Men film series.
What’s interesting is that Reynolds was tipped as a potential candidate to take up the Deadpool role long before the movies even became a possibility. This is due to the many similarities between him and the comic book character. In fact, there are some ways where Ryan Reynolds is basically Deadpool in real life, and it’s worth checking out what these areas are.
10 His Comedy Involves Drawing Out Sentences
While there are still some comedians who should join Marvel films, Ryan Reynolds has been active for quite some time. His manner of comedy has been to stretch sentences out in a mixture of wordplay and bizarre claims that end up being a masterclass in cringe humor.
Deadpool is along the same lines, as he goes off on his own tangent while others stare at him rant on about the most nonsensical things. In the Deadpool movies, Reynolds combined his comedic skills with Deadpool’s attitude which fit in naturally.
9 Deadpool Thinks He Looks Like Ryan Reynolds
An interesting bit of trivia about Deadpool is that he thought he looked like Ryan Reynolds long before the latter took up the role. In the comic Cable & Deadpool #2, Deadpool went on one of his signature rants and claimed he had a likeness to Ryan Reynolds.
With Reynolds indeed looking exactly like Deadpool does in his burned appearance in the movie, it’s clear that Deadpool was onto something when he made that claim as the two do have a number of similarities.
8 He Has The Tenacity Of Spirit To Stick To His Guns
Deadpool has always carried a never-say-die attitude, both owing to his regenerative powers and his personality in general. Ryan Reynolds actually spent a decade trying to get Deadpool made, proving the same level of determination as the character.
What’s more, Reynolds even played Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine despite his objection to the direction of Deadpool before returning to the role in 2016 and bringing him to justice. Deadpool has been called a lot of things, but he’s also stuck to his guns as Ryan Reynolds did.
7 Bromance With Hugh Jackman/Wolverine
There’s been a constant debate over the power advantage between Wolverine and Deadpool, with their clashing personalities also serving as comedic relief and a badass fighting duo. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds have had a similar bromance.
The actors have had a “feud” for years by now, where they take humorous shots at the other’s expense. Deadpool also made references to both Wolverine and Deadpool’s dynamic, as well as Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s, with Deadpool making fun of Wolverine in the film and wearing a Hugh Jackman cutout.
6 They're Both Known To Joke During Tense Situations
Comics’ Deadpool has found himself in his fair share of embarrassing situations and intense confrontations, all of which have been turned into comedic material due to his habit of joking around. The only other character who comes close to Deadpool’s sassiness is Hawkeye, although Ryan Reynolds’ talent in breaking the tension is second to none.
The actor has made light of tense moments, such as joking about Wesley Snipes’ diva behavior on the Blade: Trinity set or kissing Andrew Garfield after losing the Golden Globe Award.
5 They Have The Same Height And Are From The Same Country
Interestingly, Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool possess the same stature even if this was never supposed to be intentional. As it is, the actor and character both stand at 1.88 meters or 6 feet and 2 inches. What’s more, even their country backgrounds are the same.
Deadpool was born in Canada, although he became the least Canadian person anyone’s ever met. Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds is also Canadian, having been born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Should the comic book character and the actor stand side by side, there will be little to separate one from the other.
4 Romances With Black Widow
Deadpool has had relationships with a number of characters, with Black Widow being the most notable due to real-life events. Before either actor took on their Marvel roles, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson were married, something the comic books somewhat align with.
Deadpool met Yelena Belova in the issues Deadpool Vol. 2 #8-9 and Thunderbolts #129-131 where the two even briefly fell in love before separating. It later turned out that Yelena was actually Natasha Romanoff in disguise, meaning both the actors and characters have had romances.
3 Friendships With People From Different Generations
While it’s interpreted that Deadpool is an X-Men hero who works solo, he’s actually had a number of partnerships. Quite a few have been with characters much younger (like Spider-Man) or older than him (like Wolverine) as he’s had friendships with people from different generations.
Ryan Reynolds has been known to keep friendships with his co-stars long after their work together, even if the age difference is great. This has included a humorous “feud” with Betty White where he’s joked about how mean she was to him -- a friendship that separates the two by fifty years of age.
2 He Regularly Pokes Fun At Other Celebrities As Deadpool Does To Other Superheroes
Deadpool hasn’t left anyone out in his habit of verbally abusing other superheroes, with even characters from DC Comics being made fun of. Ryan Reynolds hasn’t been far off, as he’s shown up in movies people don’t expect him to and mocked the actors in them.
Reynolds has also joked around with pretty much anyone he’s been associated with, such as making fun of Michael Bay’s habit of blowing stuff up, The Rock’s tattoos, and David Beckham’s voice. If comic book Deadpool knew about this, he most certainly would’ve been proud.
1 He Makes Fun Of Himself As Deadpool Does
Deadpool not only takes shots at other people, but he also has a self-deprecating sense of humor where he mocks himself. This mainly has to do with his own appearance, as he had compared himself to Ryan Reynolds as a way of calling himself hard to look at.
Reynolds has generally gone all out in roasting himself, be it in promotional interviews or his film roles. The actor even pretended to have a twin who made fun of him as part of marketing for Aviation Gin, along with joking around over how his wife deserves better than him.