Ryan Reynolds will undoubtedly make some big bucks at theaters with his upcoming MCU film, Deadpool & Wolverine. Reynolds returns to his role of the wisecracking mercenary with regenerative mutation, who is now dropped into the very sane world of the MCU. However, the former DC star has made a new MCU record that even Robert Downey Jr. failed to achieve during his time at the MCU.
Ryan Reynolds will be taking on triple duty in the film as an actor, writer, and producer. While actors like Paul Rudd have also served as writers in their MCU movies, this is the first time an MCU lead actor works in a triple role.
Ryan Reynolds Will Set A Rare MCU Record With Deadpool & Wolverine
The excitement has reached peak levels as Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be released in July of this year. The recent teaser trailer was clear proof that the film is going to make some waves in the MCU. Ryan Reynolds revived his flatlining career when he starred in Deadpool back in 2016. The sequel not only established his character as a multiversal superhero but also him as a brilliant writer.
Reynolds’ additions to the writing only made the film even more fun, prompting the movie to give him a writer credit. Interestingly, he also served as a producer on the film under the banner of his production house, Maximum Effort. When the mutant assassin finally entered the MCU, none of this changed as Kevin Feige completely entrusted Reynolds with the third film.
This meant that Reynolds became the first MCU hero to write, produce, and star in one of the movies. Original Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick returned to the film, but not before Reynolds and Marvel Studios hired sisters Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin to write a screenplay in 2020. The writers’ pitch impressed both Reynolds and Feige, and they reportedly wrote the first draft.
In 2022, Reese and Wernick were hired to rewrite the screenplay and were credited as the writers. According to Den of Geek, both writers would not confirm whether they started from scratch or worked on the Molyneux sisters’ script. When Shawn Levy joined the project, both he and Reynolds contributed to the script. The film also happens to be Levy’s first writing credit.
Kevin Feige was supportive of the jokes the team had written about the MCU. At the Comic-Con in 2022, Feige shared that it was fun to be working with Reynolds on the film (via The Hollywood Reporter). Comics writer Zeb Wells is also credited as one of the writers of Deadpool & Wolverine.
Other MCU Heroes Who Contributed To Their Scripts
Besides Reynolds, another actor who took writing credits in his film was Paul Rudd. Rudd was included in the writing credits of Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Rudd initially became attached to the first Ant-Man film as the original writer and director Edgar Wright‘s choice of lead actor. When Wright left his intended film due to creative differences with Marvel, Rudd joined in on the writing duties as well.
While working on The Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton controversially rewrote many of his scenes for the film. However, the original writer, Zak Penn, was not happy with Norton’s rewrites, especially after the actor claimed to have written the script at Comic-Con (via EW). Ultimately, WGA decided to give the sole screenplay credit to Zak Penn.
Reynolds and Hugh Jackman‘s Deadpool & Wolverine is scheduled to be released on July 26, 2024, as part of Phase Five of the MCU.
