Superhero movies: 25 best superhero movie performances of the decade
By Mark Lynch
2. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool
Superhero Movies: Deadpool, Deadpool 2
After flip-flopping back and forth on putting Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans at the number two spot, Reynolds seemed like the right choice. Both men had stellar performances and carried their movies. What Reynolds had that Evans didn’t was extreme pressure.
There were some things riding on the success of the Deadpool movies. First, could Reynolds make good on his promise on the R-rating making a difference? Second, can he be more than an internet meme? Would Deadpool overcome the stain caused by 20th Century Fox comic book movies? Could a movie this vulgar and violent be profitable? Would he make us forget Green Lantern the Merc Without a Mouth? The answer to all of these questions were yes.
"“You’re so dark! Are you sure you’re not from the DC universe?” -Wade Wilson"
The Deadpool franchise brought back the trend of R-rated comic book movies and did it with style. He did curse a lot and there were a ton of sex and sexual innuendos. However, those weren’t the only things that made Ryan Reynolds the second best performer in a comic book movie. His interpretation of Deadpool was spot on. So much so that it will be a long time before anyone sees someone play Deadpool and not see Ryan Reynolds. It was like he was born to play Wade Wilson. You could see his passion for it. Especially during his press run.
There were also the somber moments. Reynolds showed that Wade Wilson was more than a joke. Things like Vanessa dying and his reaction to the cancer diagnosis proved this. He was capable of romantic and family love. Only one other person was better than him.