You should already know the story of “Deadpool” by now, but here’s the very short version: first introduced in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” 20th Century Fox completely botched the character in almost every way possible. Ryan Reynolds continued to pursue a solo movie that would be completely true to the character, but Fox were never that interested, until test footage “leaked” online, earning instant fan support, and forcing the studio’s hand. Director Tim Miller and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were given $58 million to make the film (chump change for a superhero film) and turned out something that was better received and earned way bigger box office than than the much more expensive “Fantastic Four” reboot. Easy breezy, right? Well according to Reynolds, the shoot for “Deadpool” wasn’t a walk in the park.
“Making the movie was very, very difficult. It was the most passionate group of individuals I’ve ever worked with in my life. And for whatever reason, that mercurial crazy burgoo of people is what made this thing work so well, not just because I had this vision and I saw it this way and it had to be this way,” he told GQ. “It worked because we all had that feeling. But there were vaguely scary fights in the post-production process that escalated quickly. Luckily, everybody’s grown up and at the end of the day enjoys and loves each other.”
“I know when I need to exert control, and I know when I need to let go of it. I’m not gonna go and sit with Tim Miller and say, ‘The visual effects of Deadpool need to be done this way.’ The man is a visual-effects wizard. But there are character and tone things that I know really well. And I’ve also been with this thing the longest out of anybody, aside from the guys that wrote the comics,” Reynolds continued. “Eleven years I’ve been trying to get this Sisyphus rock up the hill, and it kept rolling back on top of me. So I’m gonna be all the fuck over it from the moment it starts to the moment it finishes.”
Indeed, much of the talk surrounding Tim Miller’s exit from “Deadpool 2” has suggested a creative clash that couldn’t be mended, but Reynolds is very diplomatic about the departure of his former collaborator.
“All I can really add is that I’m sad to see him off the film. Tim’s brilliant and nobody worked harder on ‘Deadpool’ than he did,” Reynolds said.
“Deadpool 2” will start filming in early 2017, with “John Wick” co-director David Leitch expected to be behind the camera.