It cannot be denied that one of the most glorious cinematic success stories of 2016 was the triumphant release of Deadpool. Having been handed its green-light by 20th Century Fox on the basis of fan reaction to test footage, the movie ran an unprecedented marketing campaign and became a giant, R-rated hit – thanks to a relatively low budget of $58 million, and a massive $783 million international box office haul. And that was without the lucrative marketplace of China, in which it was banned.
But the notable achievements did not end there. Now, Deadpool is going to the Golden Globes, becoming the first feature-length live-action comic book adaptation to secure a Best Picture nomination (in the musical/comedy category) from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds also has a nomination for his performance in the film, and it’s this happy turn of events that has led the actor to discuss the franchise in an interview with Variety.
There has already been some discussion in the media of the sexuality of Deadpool, who is depicted in the source material as being pansexual. The movie saw him meet, fall in love with, and fight to maintain a relationship with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), and while Reynolds does not see this necessarily as an obstacle to future romance with someone else, he’s also keen to respect what has gone before.
“What love is to Deadpool may not be what love is to Batman or someone else. I think that could be played up more. He’s an outsider in every way, shape, and form.
“The only thing that you have to consider going forward is, ‘Are we being faithful to the canon that we nurtured and created? ’One of those things is that Deadpool is in love with Vanessa. Deadpool isn’t in love with Vanessa just because she’s a woman. He’s in love with Vanessa because he loves her.”
Rhett Reese – a screenwriter on Deadpool – agrees that the franchise can continue to break new ground by embracing the specific sexuality of the comic book character.
“Most comic book heroes have been heterosexual or homosexual. We find that interesting and groundbreaking. I hope it can evolve into something a little more.”
What’s even more interesting to hear is that, according to Ryan Reynolds, the creative team involved with the franchise should have plenty of opportunities to explore all these possibilities, because there are several story ideas being developed from which many films could be made.
“I would love to play Deadpool for as long as they would let me play Deadpool. We have outlines and stories for a number of different films.”
Needless to say, with $783 million in the bank, a pair of Critics Choice awards in the trophy cabinet, and a big showing to make at the upcoming Golden Globes awards ceremony, the future couldn’t be brighter for Deadpool. If the sentiments of Ryan Reynolds are any indication, we can expect a lot more breaking of new ground from the Merc with the Mouth as the franchise progresses – specifically with the release of Deadpool 2.
