Ryan Reynolds Takes Credit For Saving Marvel Studios

Ryan Reynolds expressed his gratitude to fans and playfully teased the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) during a video appearance at Disney’s D23 Fan Expo on Friday evening.

Though he couldn’t attend in person, Reynolds thanked the fans gathered at the Honda Arena for their support of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which is on track to surpass an impressive $1 billion at the box office this weekend.

Reflecting On Success And A Special Shout-out

Reflecting on the recent whirlwind of success, Reynolds commented, “It’s hard to process everything that’s happened in the last few weeks. Overwhelmed doesn’t even cover it. Thank you for the best entry into the MCU that a guy could ever ask for.”

Reynolds also gave a special shout-out to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who was presenting at the Anaheim stage, for allowing the “Deadpool” film to include “a few little teensy jokes at Marvel’s expense.”

The Disney film, which stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and is directed by Shawn Levy, is packed with witty remarks about Marvel Studios, which has faced challenges like comic-book fatigue in recent years.

Reynolds humorously explained, “It’s my way of showing love,” referring to the R-rated movie’s numerous MCU jabs, adding, “And of course, saving the studio.”

To lighten the mood, Reynolds invited Feige to the stage, introducing him as, “Mr. Marvel Jesus himself.”

Marvel’s Recent Performance

Since the release of the blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, Marvel has experienced both highs (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”) and lows (“Eternals,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”).

Mixed results, combined with an overload of Marvel TV series on Disney+, led to a decline in quality and fan engagement — prompting Marvel to slow down in 2023 and focus on making each new MCU project distinct and special.

Despite Marvel’s mixed track record over the past decade, Reynolds’ “Deadpool” films have consistently been box office hits.

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“Deadpool” Franchise Success

The first “Deadpool” solo movie debuted in 2016 and brought in $782 million worldwide, with an 85% review score on Rotten Tomatoes. Achieving an 84% review score and a $785 million global total, the 2018 sequel was as successful.

Even better than before is “Deadpool & Wolverine” right now. The movie made $205 million this weekend at the US box office, beating the record set by the first “Deadpool” movie to become the eighth-biggest opening weekend ever and the most R-rated opening weekend ever. It has made $438 million in revenue thus far worldwide.

At the time of this article’s publication, the film holds a 78% critics’ score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is promising news for Marvel.

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