Taking the lead role in a blockbuster superhero film is a potentially career-changing gig for any actor, one which can often result in them hiding their movie star looks under a mask. Suiting up is one of the requirements of the job, but with the notable exception of Karl Urban in Dredd, comic book adaptations almost always work in a way to have the talent show off their handsome faces.
The majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s masked heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and Black Panther spent a great deal of their time on screen without anything on their head, while the dual personalities of Bruce Wayne and Batman have seen the billionaire playboy facade become just as important to the mythos as his costumed alter ego.
However, things don’t always work out that way. There were unsubstantiated reports making the rounds earlier this year that The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal had become unhappy with spending all of his time on set under the character’s helmet, and insider Daniel Ricthman now claims that Ryan Reynolds wants Deadpool to be seen more without the mask when he eventually debuts in the MCU. Taking to Patreon, here’s what the tipster shared:
“Marvel and RR wants Deadpool films to show RR’s face more behind the mask as Wade Wilson since he doesn’t want to be under the mask so much.”
Of course, the Merc with a Mouth is noticeably disfigured, and you’d imagine that the hours required in the makeup chair would be a lot more taxing than simply covering up, but there’s every chance that the MCU’s Deadpool could retcon his origin story to give the leading man’s marketable face more of the spotlight. In any case, it seems that when the antihero eventually debuts in the franchise, we’ll be seeing him without his mask a lot more than in previous outings.
