Ryan Reynolds And Deadpool's Origins Share One Uncanny Coincidence

In the history of comic book movies, few actors have ever seemed more well-suited for a role than Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool. Reynolds made his debut as a comics-accurate version of the character in 2016's "Deadpool" and reprised the role two years later in 2018's "Deadpool 2." In both films, Reynolds utilizes his own snarky sense of humor to bring Marvel's unwaveringly sarcastic Merc with a Mouth to life in all his tongue-in-cheek, fourth-wall-breaking glory.

While comic book readers all seem well aware of the similarities between Reynolds and Deadpool's personalities, they might be surprised to learn just how much the actor has in common with Wade Wilson. The Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza-created anti-hero, for instance, famously made his comic book debut in "The New Mutants" #98, which was published in February 1991. That coincidentally just so happens to be the same year that Reynolds made his screen acting debut as Billy Simpson in the Canadian teen drama, "Fifteen" (known as "Hillside" in Canada).

Reynolds and Deadpool, in other words, were introduced to the general public the same year, which just makes the latter's eventual casting as the character seem all the more fitting. It was almost exactly 25 years to the day that "The New Mutants" #98 was published that the Reynolds-led "Deadpool" was released in 2016, too.

As of this writing, it's been a few years since comic book readers got to see Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool in a new movie. Fortunately, the character's unofficial Hollywood hiatus will end with the release of "Deadpool 3." The highly anticipated film will be the first "Deadpool" movie made since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019. That means "Deadpool 3" will take place at least partly in the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to a translation of one Japanese logline for the film, it'll even see Reynolds' Deadpool "change the history of the MCU" alongside Hugh Jackman's Wolverine (via The Direct).

Whether or not "Deadpool 3" actually makes as much of an impact on the MCU as that logline suggests remains to be seen. Either way, the film's inclusion of Jackman's Wolverine is enough to make it a must-see title in the eyes of many comic book readers. Fans, notably, aren't the only ones who are excited about Deadpool and Wolverine's forthcoming, big-screen team-up, which many had thought would never happen due to the events of 2017's "Logan," which ends with the death of the "X-Men" hero.

In a November 2022 interview with Collider, Reynolds shared his excitement about his "Deadpool 3" co-star's return as Wolverine. "Working with Hugh is a dream come true," the actor revealed. "But working with Logan and having Logan and Wade together in a movie is beyond any dream I would ever be audacious enough to have."