Ryan Reynolds on Elektra, Blade, X-23, and Gambit Being in Deadpool & Wolverine
436Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.
In Deadpool & Wolverine, a pivotal moment unfolds when a group of unexpected mercenaries comes to the rescue of the titular heroes. The group comprises Blade (Wesley Snipes), Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and X-23/Laura (Dafne Keen) — all characters from the Fox Marvel universe, with the notable exception of Blade. Director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds recently discussed the reasoning behind selecting these specific characters and the challenges faced during production during a spoiler-filled chat with Collider's Steve Weintraub.
Levy explained that the choice of characters was deeply rooted in the concept of legacy. "We knew early on that we wanted characters that fed into this idea of legacy," Levy said. "And so immediately, early on, we arrived at Elektra, we arrived at X-23, and Blade, and then this notion of cutting against that grain with this character who never got a beginning, while others are aspiring to an ending." Reynolds also gave credit to the writing team, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, for suggesting the inclusion of Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. "Props to Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick for the Chris Evans suggestion as Johnny Storm. That was their idea, and boy did we run with that. It was amazing."
The team intentionally focused on characters who had rich histories but, in some cases, lacked a proper conclusion to their stories. The inclusion of Gambit, who never had a standalone film, highlighted this storytelling approach. The selection was not merely a matter of availability but was driven by the story's needs. Levy was effusive as he praised the cast for their commitment in the face of struggles outside their controls:
"This is remarkable. Those four actors came to England a week early to learn and rehearse their choreography. And then the day before they were supposed to shoot, the actor strike shut down the movie. They all flew back from Europe to the States and then came back again months later, in the dead of winter, and showed up and delivered."
Ryan Reynolds Thinks the MCU Wouldn't Exist Without Wesley Snipes
Blade, played by Wesley Snipes, kills vampires in the film's opening scene. Reynolds shared his perspective, particularly highlighting the cultural impact of Wesley Snipes' Blade, with whom he shared the screen in Blade: Trinity. "For me, there was a real personal connection to Wesley and Blade. And, you know, I believe that without Blade, and what he did in 1998, I don't know that there's a Fox X-Men universe. I don't know that there's an MCU," Reynolds stated. He emphasized how Snipes' portrayal of Blade was pivotal in paving the way for the modern comic book movie landscape. "I don't think people acknowledge how pivotal Wesley Snipes' role as Blade is in the sort of overarching comic cinematic universe that we all see, that is so imbued in every aspect of film culture at the moment."
Reynolds also expressed his admiration for the other cast members, noting that Garner's Elektra "didn't really ever get her just deserts," and praised Tatum's involvement as Gambit. "Channing was just a dream," he said, adding that bringing Keen's X-23 into the mix was particularly poignant. "To get Dafne in there, too, was just perfect."
Levy elaborated on the significance of including Laura/X-23 in the narrative, with the emotional pull of her connection to Wolverine from Logan.
"Adding Laura into the movie was an early decision by us as a screenwriting team, and that predated all the cameos. We knew that the idea that Laura knows Logan, but this Logan doesn't know who she is, would in many ways be the soul of the movie. We knew it had something magic that it could unlock."
Stay tuned to Collider for more from our chat with Reynolds and Levy, and grab your tickets for Deadpool & Wolverine below.
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