What Ryan Reynolds' Dance Double From Deadpool & Wolverine Looks Like In Real Life
Fans who expected a funny, irreverent opening scene for the summer blockbuster "Deadpool & Wolverine" — the newest entry into the "Deadpool" franchise that brings Hugh Jackman's Wolverine into the mix — certainly weren't disappointed. As the credits roll, Deadpool, played once again by Ryan Reynolds, creatively slaughters agents of the TVA (or the Time Variance Authority, which Marvel Cinematic Universe fans probably remember from projects like Disney+'s "Loki") but still finds time to dance it out a little bit ... so is Reynolds actually dancing?
No, he's definitely not. The guy busting a move to *NSYNC's classic pop song "Bye Bye Bye," which soundtracks the scene, is named Nick Pauley, an actor and dancer who's appeared in projects like "The Prom" and music videos for stars like Doja Cat, Katy Perry, and Nicki Minaj. Reynolds himself has praised Pauley pretty extensively; during a press conference attended by Business Insider, he gave all the credit to his dance double. "A guy named Nick Pauley is the guy that choreographed it," Reynolds confessed. "I mean, he's doing a lot of the moves that have been established previously by *NSYNC. If it looks like the person who's dancing doesn't have arthritis, that's him."
@thefilmophileclub Behind the scenes of Nick Pauley (Ryan Reynolds' dance double) filming the opening dance scene for 'DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE', featuring 'Bye Bye Bye' by NSYNC. #deadpool #wolverine #ryanreynolds #hughjackman ♬ original sound – THE FILMOPHILE CLUB
"And then there's the moments where there's a bit of a pop and lock, except the pop really pops, like it cracks, and the lock will not unlock," Reynolds joked in reference to his own dance skills before saying of Pauley, "I will hang my hat on his talent there and thank him for his contribution and services."
Nick Pauley was thrilled to be a part of Deadpool & Wolverine —
Clearly, Ryan Reynolds appreciated Nick Pauley's extraordinary dance moves, which mimicked the original choreography from the "Bye Bye Bye" music video. In a post on Pauley's own Instagram, he praised Reynolds and the project, saying he was honored to play a Deadpool "variant" he dubbed "Dancepool."
Pauley was also finally able to reveal his contribution to the movie in an Instagram post on July 26 — the date of the movie's release — where he posted a photo of himself clad in the signature Deadpool suit. "It's true! I am Dancepool in the new 'Deadpool and Wolverine,'" Pauley wrote. "This secret has been so hard to keep! I can't believe I have the honor of being [Ryan Reynolds'] 'dance' double for the opening scene of the entire movie!!!" Plus, as Pauley revealed, he threw in a few improvised moves during the process: "I went to the premiere on Monday and watching the footage back was pretty surreal. I hadn't remembered what I freestyled in between the choreography, and it was hilarious to watch it back and be like 'oh my god now I remember doing that.'" Pauley then went on to thank Reynolds and director Shawn Levy for bringing him on board ... and all in all, the dancer and choreographer's efforts paid off, because fans went absolutely wild over the opening of "Deadpool & Wolverine."
Fans absolutely loved the opening sequence of Deadpool & Wolverine ... especially Nick Pauley's dance moves
Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), fans made it clear that Nick Pauley's efforts paid off handsomely. As user @jordnjnes put it, "Once I get the official version of Deadpool's 'Bye Bye Bye' dance, the timeline is gonna be so sick of me. It's been on repeat nonstop since last Thursday. I don't understand how an opening scene for a film can be THIS good." @MrDrewLandry appreciated the scene's use of the 2000 hit, writing, "say what you want about 'Deadpool & Wolverine' but the fact that it brought Bye Bye Bye back into the zeitgeist is a net positive for society." @MarioEmmet had high praise for the sequence and compared it to another famous MCU opener, saying, "The opening scene to Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' was fire. I can't get the song (Bye, Bye, Bye) out of my head. The best opening to an MCU film since 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'" (Memorably, "Guardians of the Galaxy" opens with Chris Pratt's Peter Quill jamming out to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love.")
Some fans clearly still loved the sequence but cursed the film for sending them back in time, like @FrieNDA_2: "I hate that ['Deadpool & Wolverine'] is making me dance to Bye Bye Bye all over again like im back in elementary school." Perhaps the best endorsement came from the official *NSYNC VEVO page on YouTube, though; the title of the original music video now features a parenthetical that reads "Official Video from 'Deadpool and Wolverine.'"
"Deadpool & Wolverine" is in theaters now.