Robert Downey Jr. Cameo Was Written for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

As a screenwriter who’s had the privilege of working with Deadpool since 2009, I can honestly say that this journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. If you ask me about an unforgettable image from this movie, it would have to be the moment when our anti-hero, Deadpool, was wrapped up in a seatbelt, lying back in the minivan – a brilliant improvisation that wasn’t even in the script!

[This story contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine.]

Prior to Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doctor Doom in Marvel, there were discussions about having him rejoin the franchise, but this time as Iron Man (Tony Stark), alongside Deadpool and Wolverine.

“According to co-writer Paul Wernick, there was an initial script for that particular scene. He also mentioned that Robert Downey Jr.’s version of it was included during the writing process, but it didn’t make it into the final film.”

In a theater setting, viewers watch as Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) journeys to Avengers Tower in 2018 for a meeting with Happy Hogan (played by Jon Favreau). He requests to join The Avengers and wonders if Stark will attend the discussion. However, in the end, Happy declines Wade’s application to be part of the team.

In an earlier version of the script, Reynolds had written a scene where Tony and Happy were together. The creators of Deadpool and Wolverine considered that if Downey Jr. refused the cameo or Marvel vetoed it, they could easily alter the Avengers Tower scene to focus on Happy instead.

As a diehard fan, I’ve got to say, Favreau showed incredible resilience when it was uncertain for a bit about Jon’s involvement. He stuck with the project, and in the end, he handled the expansion of his role with great grace, which Rhett Reese, the writer, admires. Though we were all bummed that Tony Stark wouldn’t be part of the story initially, we get why it didn’t work out after Downey swiftly transformed into Dr. Doom at Comic-Con right after our movie premiered.

Robert Downey Jr., who had become one of the highest-earning movie stars globally by portraying Iron Man, hung up his suit after a decade and a half in “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). At San Diego Comic-Con recently, there was a shocking revelation when Downey stepped onto the stage – he will reprise his role as Victor Von Doom for two upcoming “Avengers” films.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but marvel at how the fusion of Deadpool and Wolverine, though lacking a Downey-esque moment, has still managed to unleash a torrent of characters (and cash at the box office). With anticipation brewing, it seems we’re on the verge of surpassing the $1 billion mark over the weekend, a milestone that underscores the brilliant work of Reese and Wernick who have been an integral part of the Deadpool universe since 2009. Over six years they tirelessly collaborated with Reynolds to bring the first movie to life.

Delighted by the positive reception to their latest film production, Reese, Wernick (co-writers alongside Reynolds), Shawn Levy (director), and Zeb Wells recently shared insights about the bold decisions they made – along with ideas they decided not to pursue (such as a Deadpool versus Zombies scenario). They discussed these topics in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

For some time now, you all, along with Ryan, have been tirelessly brainstorming ideas for this film, hitting a creative wall. Then, unexpectedly, Hugh Jackman contacted Ryan expressing his desire to reprise the role of Wolverine. So, what elements from your initial scripts persisted, and what aspects fell neatly into place once Hugh became part of the project?

Rhett Reese: Before Hugh Jackman joined our project, we already had some elements in place like Wade’s birthday party and his job at DriveMax. An idea for Johnny Storm/Captain America was introduced earlier by Paul, which we felt was essential to include in the film. However, it was when Hugh agreed to join us that things started falling into place. Instead of exploring various possibilities, many other options became less viable as Hugh’s role became more defined. In a sense, Hugh helped us close off certain paths and focus on one specific direction. The decision to exclude the dead Logan led us to consider either time travel or using a variant. Since we didn’t want to use time travel, we opted for the latter path. Additionally, we wanted the movie to be a road trip, a buddy adventure in a car, so we thought about having them journey through space. This idea eventually led us to the concept of the Void, and within two weeks, we had a rough draft for the film’s outline.

As someone who has worked in public relations for many years, I can appreciate the question about the apparent contradiction between Hugh’s return and the initial PR line of “not stepping on Logan.” In my experience, it’s not uncommon for a company to make such statements during transitions or periods of change. However, the execution can sometimes be messy, as was the case with Wade digging up Logan’s grave in the movie.

It turned out as expected when he was announced – there would be resistance. “Ah, you’re going to ruin Logan.” In consideration for Hugh and the fans, we aimed to discover a different version of Logan, other than the one who died so valiantly in Logan. After all, Deadpool is quite mischievous, isn’t he? He then declared, “We won’t tamper with Logan at all.” At that moment, it struck us – what a perfect opportunity! Of course, Deadpool disregards all rules, doesn’t he? So why not cut straight to North Dakota.

Reese: Ryan suggested facing the issue directly, and that’s exactly what we decided to do. We chose to tackle it straight away, like taking a direct hit. To put it simply, we were ready to face the consequences, not literally using bullets in the first scene though.

Was the concept of an anchor being something that came along with Hugh?

Wernick: Initially, it was just Ryan and us in the beginning. Later, Shawn and Zeb joined our group. The dynamic evolved into something akin to a TV writers’ room as we tossed around ideas. We would gather these ideas, present them to Kevin Feige, who has an extensive knowledge of the Marvel Universe and its lore. When we proposed an idea, Kevin pointed out that there’s a concept called ‘an anchor being’ in the Marvel canon, which is found in the comics. This concept seemed ideal for our storyline, didn’t it, Rhett? Correct me if I’m wrong.

Reese: I’m unable to recall that incident, so I can neither verify nor dispute it. While I don’t doubt its truth, I simply can’t remember the details.

In “No Way Home,” Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield voiced their opinions to the screenwriters. Were any of the returning actors also involved in offering suggestions? I’m particularly interested in Channing Tatum’s input, specifically about how closely the new film should adhere to his original vision for Gambit, which never came to fruition as a standalone movie.

Reese: He focused on the accent for his role, and he was determined to get it right. It’s an authentic dialect he’s portraying, not something improvised. When he chose to use this accent, it gave us, the writers, a creative leeway to explore Deadpool’s responses. Naturally, Ryan struggled with understanding him due to Channing’s accent. Every actor was consulted, and some adjustments were made along the way. However, overall, they generally followed the plan as it was written in the script, with minor tweaks here and there.

Ryan (Wernick) mentioned that Channing has long desired to portray Gambit, a character that we’ve also aspired to bring to life since our plans for Deadpool. His affection for Gambit is clear, and it seems now we understand why – because Gambit is such an exceptional character. It appears the audience shares this sentiment too. Here’s hoping this collaboration serves as a stepping stone towards a standalone Gambit movie in the future.

As someone who has been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for quite some time now, I have to admit that this team is generally well-liked and respected. However, I’ve been finding myself questioning whether or not it’s appropriate to make lighthearted jabs at them in my writing. For instance, recently I wrote a line suggesting that the MCU is experiencing a bit of a low point, which may have come off as harsh to some fans. It’s important for me to find the right balance between maintaining humor and being respectful to the subject matter, especially when it comes to something as beloved as the MCU.

Reese: The jokes you see here are ones we wouldn’t dare to write ourselves. Those were Ryan’s jokes. Some jokes require a certain level of accountability, especially when they’re about the person creating them. Now, we didn’t feel qualified to critique Marvel’s work or their entire universe – they’re masters in their field with an impressive streak of successful movies. It took more than our humor to poke fun at them. We’re comfortable making light of ourselves and our past writing. Ryan also pokes fun at himself, and we often joke about anything and everyone. Kevin Feige is amazing for numerous reasons, but one more reason is his willingness to laugh at himself or the universe or the past. He didn’t veto any joke. The only joke that got cut was a Disney-related joke that was a bit too crude. But it wasn’t Kevin who made that call; it went higher up. I can’t reveal what that joke was, so don’t ask me. And that’s happened only once in all three movies – we had a joke that was too harsh for the script, maybe for the better. In short, we make fun of everything and everyone, but Ryan tackles the bigger challenges when it comes to poking fun at someone we’re afraid to mock.

I took my seat directly behind Kevin during the initial showing. On numerous occasions, we tried out the project on the Disney studio grounds, with their staff as well. For the duration of that period, I was engrossed in observing Kevin’s responses to the film.>

Reese: He’s not going to find the stalkery at all, by the way.

John: Just like everyone else in the crowd, he found humor in Marvel jabs. That’s part of what makes Deadpool so endearing and entertaining – he pokes fun at everyone. If one can’t appreciate self-deprecation, then what’s the point?

Reese: In the movie Zombieland, we chose not to include a joke about Garfield that poked fun at Bill Murray, as it was too unsettling for us to mock such an icon. Instead, we wrote a line for Little Rock to ask Bill Murray, “Do you have any regrets?” Anticipating he’d improvise, and it was him who came up with the Garfield joke in the first place. So, while it seemed like we were making fun of Bill Murray, we actually weren’t – he took credit for the joke himself.

I’d like to discuss some speculations that have been circulating about your film, and see if they are accurate. Are there any truths to the rumors suggesting that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark but refuse Wade’s membership in the Avengers?

Wernick: Yes.

Reese: Indeed, it aligns with what we were contemplating. The Marvel Cinematic Universe apparently had more extensive plans for Downey Jr., as suggested by the Doctor Doom speculation. I believe that’s likely the reason it didn’t materialize, though I can’t confirm the specific cause. There was discussion about it. It would have featured Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau in a scene together.

Wernick: There is a script. We have the Downey draft.

Reese: Ryan penned a scene with Downey, and it was just the two of them. However, if for any reason Downey or Marvel decided against it, the scene would be adapted to focus on Happy Hogan. Jon was very accommodating throughout this uncertainty, and eventually, he took it in stride when the scene grew a bit larger. We appreciated the idea of having Tony Stark present, but we also comprehend why it didn’t materialize due to Downey’s sudden appearance as Dr. Doom shortly after our film premiered. So it turned out that the direction we hadn’t anticipated was the one we ended up taking.

What about Daniel Radcliffe as a Wolverine variant?

Reese: As far as I know, neither Daniel Radcliffe nor Danny DeVito were actually considered for the role. There were just rumors circulating about them, but they didn’t seem to be serious possibilities.

Wernick: No little Wolvie, we had pitched the idea of Danny DeVito.

Reese: Ah, yes, that seems correct. The idea was presented, indeed. In the end, they felt it was more amusing to have Hugh instead. A smaller version of Hugh seemed more comical.

Reese: Apart from the comics, it was also inspired by Tim Conway’s “Dorf on Golf.”

Did Ryan mention that Madonna observed the “Like a Prayer” fight scene and delivered some remarks afterwards? I’m curious to find out what those comments were, do you have any information on this?

Wernick: We weren’t part of that specific detail. That information came quite late during the production, so we’re unsure about the meaning of that note. However, it’s clear that Ryan had desired that particular song for the movie from its inception, much before Hugh was on board and even before there was a film to accommodate it. He wanted to create a continuous scene featuring Deadpool, moving from left to right across the camera frame, while ‘Like a Prayer’ played, as he fought off enemies.

Wernick: Prior to the creation of Deadpool Corps, Ryan suggested a concept involving zombies. In November of 2021, he called us up and proposed, “How about we return to make another Deadpool movie? Here are my ideas.” He presented an idea where Deadpool would face off against zombies, with the finale being a thrilling battle set to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” as Deadpool brutally slaughters the undead. Our response was, “Wow, that’s really badass and cool!” Over time, this idea developed into the Deadpool Corps.

Reese: Yes, there existed a variant storyline in which the character was battling his escape from Hell, encountering demons along the way, and slashing his path clear. This element was particularly significant and remained an essential aspect throughout our planning process.

Since 2009, you’ve been part of the Deadpool team, joining efforts with Ryan Reynolds in an attempt to launch the first film. Out of all the memories from that movie production, which one stands out for you the most?

Reese: I found it amusing when Deadpool was strapped into the car seat or reclining in the minivan during filming. This wasn’t part of the original script; instead, they used seatbelts to restrain an incapacitated Deadpool. It was a brilliant improvisation that added a fun touch to the scene. I appreciated it very much.

Wernick: Gosh, that moment when Wolverine dons his mask really sends shivers down my spine! To me, it’s as iconic as it gets, especially when it’s shown in slow motion, accompanied by the opening notes of Madonna’s music.

Reese: Then, when they’re positioned like on a cross, with “Like a Prayer” playing in the background as electricity flows through them, our editors did an excellent job capturing their thoughts and feelings, reminding us of what led them there and what matters most to them. It gives me chills every time I see it.

2024-08-09 16:55

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