Wade Wilson (film character)

Wade Wilson is a fictional character portrayed by Ryan Reynolds originally in the X-Men (film series) released by 20th Century Studios and currently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise released by Marvel Studios. He is based on the Marvel Comics anti-hero Deadpool|of the same name and is sometimes referred to by his alter ego, Deadpool.

Two variations of Wilson appear in the live-action X-Men film series, originally appearing in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), the character received heavy negative criticism due to the portrayal being very different than his comic book counterpart. The character later appears in the eponymous film Deadpool (film)l (2016), its sequel Deadpool 2 (2018) and the short film No Good Deed (2017 film) in a form more true to the comics following the X-Men film series' timeline reset in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Several jokes in both films are aimed at the expense of Origins Wolverine due to the negative reaction of Weapon XI's portrayal. The mid-credits scene in Deadpool 2 depicts the title character traveling backwards in time to the events of Origins Wolverine to kill the widely criticized interpretation.

The character was later integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe following The Walt Disney Company's Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|acquisition of Fox, with Reynolds confirmed to reprise his role in any future appearances as Deadpool. As of 2022, Wilson has appeared in one short film set in the MCU, Deadpool and Korg React (2021). He will return in the Deadpool 2#Marvel Cinematic Universe|third Deadpool film also set in the MCU. Reynolds' portrayal of the character has been well received and he has earned a number of accolades for his performance.

Concept, creation, and characterization

Development

Ryan Reynolds was drawn to the role of Deadpool after learning that in the comics the character refers to his appearance as "Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar Pei|Shar-Pei", later lobbying for a film featuring the character to be made.

Artisan Entertainment had announced a deal with Marvel Entertainment in May 2000 to co-produce, finance, and distribute several films based on Marvel Comics' characters, including Deadpool, a newer character introduced in the 1990s. By February 2004, writer and director David S. Goyer and Ryan Reynolds were working on a Deadpool film at New Line Cinema. They had worked together on the Marvel film Blade: Trinity. Reynolds was interested in the part of Deadpool after learning that in the comics the character refers to his appearance as "Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar Pei". New Line executive Jeff Katz, who thought Reynolds was the only actor suitable for the role, championed the idea. However, there were rights issues with 20th Century Fox and their X-Men (film series)|X-Men films, and the project did not move forward.

By March 2005, Reynolds learned that Fox had expressed interest in a film featuring Deadpool. The character was set to make a cameo appearance in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with Reynolds cast in the part. His role was expanded during the film's production. Katz was an executive at Fox at that point, and said that Deadpool was "nicely set up to be explored in his own way" in a future film. The film's portrayal deviates from the original comic character, "imbuing him with several superpowers and sewing his mouth shut". Deadpool apparently dies in the film, though a post-credits scene showing him still alive was added to the film shortly before its release. After the successful opening weekend of Wolverine, Fox officially began development on Deadpool, with Reynolds attached to star and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner involved. The spinoff was set to ignore the Wolverine version of Deadpool and return to the character's roots with a slapstick tone and a "propensity to break the fourth wall".

At Fox, the film went through several directors before Tim Miller (director)|Tim Miller settled on the position, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick hired to write the script. Meanwhile, Reynolds took the lead role in Green Lantern (film)|Green Lantern, a film that was critically and financially unsuccessful. Due to this poor reception and the fact that a film based on Deadpool would most likely be rated R instead of PG-13, Fox became doubtful about the project, even after Reynolds produced test footage of himself in-character. However, the footage was eventually leaked in 2014 to enthusiastic reviews, prompting Fox to green-light the project. Reynolds attributed Fox's green-lighting of the film entirely to the leak. He, Miller and the writers had previously discussed leaking the footage themselves, and Reynolds initially thought that Miller had done so. He later believed the leak came from someone at Fox. In exchange for being able to make the film the way they wanted, Fox gave the crew a much smaller budget than is typical for superhero films.

Behind the scenes

Reynolds worked with longtime trainer Don Saladino to get in shape for the role of Deadpool, gaining 7 pounds of lean muscle. Saladino commented that while they aimed to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance, they also wanted to get Reynolds "actual strength over superficial", so they spent extensive time working on Reynolds' mobility prior to working on actual strength.

Characterization

In both timelines, Wade possesses a highly sarcastic and great sense of humor that irritates and annoys most of his enemies. He regularly insults and belittles his enemies to his own godly. He feels no shame and can make a joke out of any situation, even after months of endless torture he was able to keep his sense of humor alive, despite it being shaken over some fear and shock over his subsequent transformation. Only a few select people can withstand his seemingly never-ending inability to stop talking, as his mouth was sewn shut in the climax of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

His personality is significantly more fleshed out in the new timeline. He loves cartoons, potty humor, Skee-Ball, classical music, television shows, rap music, and American pop culture. His favorite band is Wham! and George Michael, specifically, the song "Careless Whisper." He remains very movie-cultured, referencing The Matrix, RoboCop, Alien 3, Yentl, 127 Hours, Cocoon (film)|Cocoon, Star Wars, Green Lantern (film)|Green Lantern (which also stars Ryan Reynolds), and even X-Men: Days of Future Past; like his comics counterpart, Wade himself is aware that he is a fictional character in a movie and belittles this by breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience.

Despite his initial immaturity, Wade is a genuine, soft, good-hearted man, and in time became a very moral and heroic person to the point of sacrificing himself to save the Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant Rusty Collins|Russell Collins. Although he is a mercenary, he agreed to scare off a young girl's stalker without being paid for his troubles, revealing he can be affectionate. On matters of love, he can be surprisingly sensitive, having been forced to abandon his girlfriend, Copycat (Marvel Comics)|Vanessa due to his terminal cancer, he advised his taxi driver, Dopinder to fight for the object of his affections, Gita. After Vanessa’s death, Wade developed a suicidal nature, yet his inability to die increased the decay of his already fractured psyche that enhanced the seriousness and tragedy of his character even though his wise-cracking quality is more predominant. He was content to die of cancer in the Icebox until he re-found a purpose by protecting Russell from Cable. After his near-death experience, this trait has died down, but he had not accepted her demise, so Wade irresponsibly uses Cable’s time travel device to save her.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

After the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company was announced in December 2017 and completed in March 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that Deadpool would be integrated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe under Disney, and that the company would be willing to make future R-rated Deadpool films "as long as we let the audiences know what's coming". The Deadpool 2#Once Upon a Deadpool version of the film was being watched carefully by Disney and Marvel Studios to see whether it might inform how they could approach the character and integrate him into the PG-13 MCU.

In October 2019, Reese and Wernick said that they have a script in development, but were waiting for approval from Marvel Studios to begin production on the third film. Reese said, "[Deadpool] will live in the R-rated universe that we've created, and hopefully we'll be allowed to play a little bit in the MCU sandbox as well and incorporate him into that." In December 2019, Reynolds confirmed that a third Deadpool film was in development at Marvel Studios, which was confirmed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in January 2021, with Reynolds reprising his role. The film will retain the R-rating of the prior films and will be set in the MCU. Feige described Wilson as a "very different type of character" in the MCU.

Appearances

• In the original timeline, Wilson is first referenced in X2 (film) (2003), his name appears on William Stryker's computer that contained files on multiple individuals and organizations related to Mutant (Marvel Comics).
• Wilson's first on-screen appearance in the original timeline, is X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). This variant is a highly-skilled, wisecracking, and amoral mercenary. He is supposedly killed by Sabretooth (character), but is later revealed to have been transformed by Major Stryker into a mutant killer "Weapon XI", who possessed other mutants' powers. His former teammates Logan (film series character)|Logan and Creed fight Weapon XI and manage to defeat and seemingly kill him.
• In Deadpool (film), set in a revised timeline X-Men: Days of Future Past. This version is a mercenary who is diagnosed with late-stage cancer and turns to Weapon X after he is offered a cure. One of the scientists, Francis Fanny "Ajax" tortures Wilson in order to catalyze the treatment, which eventually results in regressive mutant genes activating, causing the latter's disfigurement and healing factor. In response, Wilson develops a vendetta against Ajax and undergoes a quest to force him to fix his disfigurement before eventually killing him upon learning it would be impossible.
• In the short film, No Good Deed (2017 film), Wilson comes across an old man being mugged in an alley, and races to change into his Deadpool costume before he helps the man. As Wilson struggles to get dressed, the man is shot. Wilson emerges, wearing his costume, only to find the man dead and the mugger long gone.
• In Deadpool 2 (2018), after the death of his girlfriend Copycat (Marvel Comics), Wilson finds himself protecting an angst-ridden boy named Rusty Collins|Russell Collins from the time-traveling mutant Cable (comics).
• In Deadpool and Korg React (2021), a Film promotion, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wilson invites Korg (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Korg to make a Trailer (promotion)|trailer reaction video for the trailer for Free Guy.
• A Deadpool 2#Marvel Cinematic Universe Deadpool film is currently in active development, set in the MCU, with Marvel Studios producing the film and Ryan Reynolds confirmed to reprise the role.

Fictional character biography

Original timeline

Background

In the original continuity, Wade Wilson was born in the 1940s and was a soldier and mercenary with enhanced human reflexes and agility due to him being a Mutant (Marvel Comics)|.

Team X and Weapon XI

During the Vietnam War, Wilson is a member of a Black Ops group called Team X (comics) under the command of William Stryker. The team also includes Logan (film series character)|James "Logan" Howlett, Sabretooth (comics), Blob (comics), Kestrel (Marvel Comics), Chris Bradley, and David North (comics). During one mission, while trying to find a mineral used to create adamantium, Stryker orders the team to massacre an entire village. Logan stops it, and leaves the group. After his departure, other team-members begin to question the team's morality and begin to leave including Wilson until only Creed and Agent Zero remain faithful to Stryker.

Six years later, Wilson was captured and taken to Stryker's base at Three Mile Island where he is experimented on for the Weapon XI project. He was killed by Creed, and his body was used as a catalyst for the Weapon XI project. With Creed's help, Stryker collects DNA from several mutants (including Wraith, Bradley, Cyclops (Marvel Comics), and Logan), whose powers could be used collectively within one body without destroying it. Stryker also gave Wilson an adamantium skeleton like Logan's. Stryker dubs him as the "mutant killer" known as the "Deadpool". After freeing the other mutants captured by Stryker and Creed in Three Mile Island, Logan is stopped by the now activated Weapon XI. Logan faces Weapon XI alone, giving the mutants time to escape and eventually Logan climbs atop a cooling tower at Stryker's plant, Weapon XI follows in an instant using Wraith's teleportation ability. Logan is about to be decapitated by Weapon XI (under the command of Stryker), Creed later joined to help Logan, Weapon XI is beheaded and seemingly defeated by Logan. However, Wilson survives decapitation.

Alternate timeline

In an alternate timeline, Weapon XI prepares to attack Logan after he rescues the captured mutants from Three Mile Island, Weapon XI is suddenly shot through the head by #Revised timeline|another Deadpool whom time-traveled from a revised timeline. Deadpool tells Logan that he is "cleaning up the timeline" and continues to shoot his alternate self several more times until Weapon XI finally dies.

Revised timeline

Early life

In this X-Men: Days of Future Past|new continuity created by the X-Men, Wade Wilson was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1975. He is now a former Special Forces soldier who was dishonorably discharged, becoming a mercenary operating at Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls, where he meets and eventually proposes to hustler, Copycat (Marvel Comics)|Vanessa Carlysle.

Cancer diagnosis, Weapon X and Superhero Origin

Unfortunately, Wilson is diagnosed with late-stage cancer shortly after being engaged to Vanessa. He is approached by a representative of an Weapon Plus|unknown organization, who offered him a cure in addition to powers "most men only dream of". While he initially declined, he eventually returned to accept the offer. However, not all was as it seemed, as he soon realized they were actually attempting to create an army of superpowered individuals under their control. Wilson underwent numerous forms of torture by the hands of Francis Fanny|Ajax and Angel Dust (comics)|Angel Dust, though he never loses his sense of humor. Eventually, Ajax is successful in activating Wilson's dormant mutant genes, which allows him to heal and regenerate from any wound. The only problem, however, is that it also horrifically deforms his entire outer layer of skin. Wade attempted to escape and destroyed the facility in the process, but ultimately lost to Ajax in battle. Wilson is presumed dead, but survives thanks to his new-found abilities.

Afraid to confront Vanessa in his current appearance, Wilson takes on the moniker "Deadpool", after remembering when his best friend Weasel (comics)|Weasel bet in the Sister Margaret's group "dead pool" that he would die, and begins hunting for Ajax to force him to fix him. He eventually tracks him down, though his attempt to kill him was interrupted by the Colossus (comics)|Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead members of the X-Men. The two attempt to apprehend Wilson, however he manages to escape by severing his own hand. Shortly after, Ajax targets and kidnaps Vanessa to get back at Wade, hoping to lure him out and kill him for good. Upon learning of this, Deadpool contacts Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead for their assistance. The three confront Ajax and his men, where Deadpool is able to save Vanessa and ultimately kill Ajax, much to Colossus' dismay. Despite his appearance, Vanessa still accepts Wade, and the two embrace.

Death of Vanessa and the arrival of Cable

Two years later, Wilson continues working as a successful mercenary-for-hire, taking down the most despicable and untouchable of criminals. On the day of his anniversary with Vanessa, Wilson is assigned to kill mobster Sergei Valishnikov. However, when Deadpool attacks his base, Valishnikov hides in a panic room. Since waiting for Sergei to get out was going to take too much time, Wade decides to let him go for the time being in order to spend time with Vanessa. Unfortunately, Valishnikov and his men decide to retaliate against Deadpool and attack him at his apartment, inadvertently killing Vanessa, after which Deadpool finishes the hit in vengeance. For the next six months, Wilson tries to commit suicide by blowing himself up. This ultimately fails, however, due to his healing factor, and his pieces remain alive to be found and reassembled by Colossus.

Colossus manages to convince Wade to join the X-Men as a form of physical and mental healing after the death of Vanessa. He becomes a trainee and accompanies Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead to a standoff between authorities and an unstable young mutant named Rusty Collins|Russell Collins. After trying to calm Russell down and prevent any more damage, Wade realizes that the orphanage where Russell lives, labeled a mutant "reeducation center," has abused him and Wade subsequently kills one of the staff members, leading to his and Russell's arrest. They are taken to the Ice Box and their powers inhibited with special collars. Meanwhile, a cybernetic soldier from the future, Cable (comics)|Cable, arrives in 2018 to murder Russell before he can kill his first victim, as Cable's family is murdered by a future version of Russell. Cable's breaking into the Ice Box allows for Wilson and Russell to escape their cell, and when Cable comes to kill Russell, Wilson's collar is broken in the melee. With his powers restored, he attempts to defend Russell, but is beaten by Cable who takes Vanessa's Skee-Ball token. Cable nearly beats Wade to death, and Wade experiences a vision of Vanessa in the afterlife where she convinces him to go after Russell and save him.

Assembling X-Force

Wilson returns to life and forms a superhero team of his own called X-Force (comics)|X-Force. They attempt to assault a convoy transferring Russell and several other Ice Box prisoners by parachuting from a plane, but the only survivors of the team end up being Wilson and Domino (comics)|Domino, a mutant whose powers pertain to luck. The two assault the convoy alone, finding Cable already on the scene. While Domino drives the truck and Cable fights Wilson, Russell releases fellow prisoner Juggernaut (comics)|Juggernaut, who agrees to assist Russell in killing his abusive former headmaster. Before escaping, Juggernaut destroys the convoy and tears Wade in half, allowing the two of them to escape unhindered.

Cable reluctantly agrees to work with a recovering Wilson and Domino in order to stop Russell's first murder. The team is initially overpowered by Juggernaut while Russell terrorizes his headmaster until Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and her girlfriend Yukio (comics)|Yukio arrive and helped to hold him off. Wilson attempts to talk Russell down, even putting on an inhibitor collar to negate his powers as a show of good faith. This ultimately fails, however, and Cable shoots the boy. Wilson jumps in front of the bullet and is fatally wounded, as his healing factor is negated by the collar. Feeling it was his time to go, he refuses to let anyone remove the collar, choosing to be reunited with Vanessa in the afterlife. Russell is inspired by Wilson's sacrifice and choses not to kill the headmaster, preventing the death of Cable's family in the future. Cable decides to use his final time-traveling charge to go back and hide Vanessa's Skee-Ball token inside Deadpool's uniform, in the spot where he would be shot. Wade still takes the bullet for Russell, but this time it is stopped by the Skee-Ball token and Wade survived. Despite this, Russell is still inspired by Wade's sacrifice and does not kill the headmaster. As the group leaves the scene, however, Wade's taxi-driver friend Dopinder arrives and runs over the fleeing headmaster, killing him anyway.

Creating alternate timelines

Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio manage to fix Cable's time-traveling device, and Wade uses it to make several alterations to the timeline. He first goes back and saves both Vanessa and former X-Force member Peter, who have no apparent powers. He then visits the original timeline and kills that universe's Wade Wilson by shooting him in the head. After this, he makes a stop in an alternate timeline, shooting Ryan Reynolds in the back of the head before he can sign onto the Green Lantern (film)|Green Lantern movie.

In other media

Video games

• Wade Wilson / Weapon XI appears in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)|X-Men Origins: Wolverine film tie-in game, voiced by Steven Blum.
• Reynolds reprised his role as Wade Wilson / Deadpool for the iOS and Android (operating system)|Android Mobile game|mobile game Marvel Strike Force.

Web series

• Reynolds reprised his role as Wade Wilson / Deadpool by co-narrating the Screen Junkies#Honest Trailers|Honest Trailers for Deadpool, Logan (film)|Logan, which was the series' 200th video, and Deadpool 2.

Accolades

Reynolds has received numerous nominations and awards for his portrayal of Wade Wilson.

Year	Film	Award	Category	Result	Ref(s)
2009	X-Men Origins: Wolverine	MTV Movie Awards	Best Fight (shared with Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber)	Nominated
2010		People's Choice Awards	Favorite On-Screen Team (shared with Daniel Henney, Dominic Monaghan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and will.i.am)	Nominated
2016	Deadpool (film)|Deadpool	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Actor in an Action Movie	Nominated
			Best Actor in a Comedy	Won
		2016 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards	Best Male Performance	Nominated
			Best Action Performance	Nominated
			Best Kiss (shared with Morena Baccarin)	Nominated
			Best Comedic Performance	Won
			Best Fight (shared with Ed Skrein)	Won
		San Diego Film Critics Society Awards	Best Comedic Performance	Nominated
		2016 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actor: Action	Nominated
			Choice Movie: Hissy Fit	Won
2017		Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	Won
		43rd People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards	Favorite Movie Actor	Won
			Favorite Action Movie Actor	Nominated
		Saturn Awards	Best Actor	Won
2018	Deadpool 2	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer Movie Star: Male	Nominated
		People's Choice Awards	Favorite Action Movie Star	Nominated
		San Diego Film Critics Society	Best Comedic Performance	Nominated
2019		Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Actor in a Comedy	Nominated
		Prix Aurora Awards	Best Visual Presentation	Won

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