The Secret Meaning Behind Dopinder's Name In Deadpool

If there's one thing major fans of any movie or series love, it's an Easter egg, and eagle-eyed Deadpool fans know the first installment in the merc-with-a-mouth's movie franchise has no shortage of them. For instance, in the opening scene, you may have noticed (to be fair, you may not have) a wallet flying through the air, out from which pops a pic of series star Ryan Reynolds dressed as Green Lantern, from his earlier eponymous superhero film you're still trying to forget. The very same sequence features a coffee mug with "Rob L" written on it, a nod to comic book writer and artist Rob Liefield, who created the character Deadpool with fellow writer Fabian Nicieza.

Easter eggs come in all shapes and sizes, and Deadpool actually features one that's not an inside joke with the fandom or a reference to someone who played a role in bringing the project to fruition. Dopinder, the title character's companion and source of transportation, is actually named after one of Reynolds' childhood friends, one who died tragically. 

Dopinder (Karan Soni), the lovable taxi-driving companion of the title character from the first Deadpool movie, was actually named as a tribute to a childhood friend of series star Ryan Reynolds. When asked about Deadpool's relationship with the character Dopinder in the film during his appearance in the Talks at Google interview series, Reynolds explained that the character shares his name with someone he knew in elementary school. "I went to school with this guy named Dopinder and it's actually... we're paying tribute to him. He was killed; he was struck by lightning, which is so, just utterly crazy."

Reynolds went on to call the friend a "really cool guy," but then quipped, "There you go, there's more information than you ever wanted," to conjure some laughter from the crowd and return to the previously lighthearted tone of the conversation. 

It's unclear whether or not Dopinder and actor Karan Soni will return for Deadpool 3; Reynolds gave an update of sorts on the third film in mid-2020.