Even Hollywood superheroes play ping-pong

As his thoughts drifted to various ideas, such as learning a musical instrument or building a small house, he realized that he wanted to shoot a movie about Deadpool and Wolverine. So, he pulled over and called Reynolds, coproducer of Deadpool & Wolverine, informing him that he had decided to be on board.

"I said 'I'm in' and then I got back in the car and thought I should probably call my agent and tell him," says Jackman.

For Reynolds, the production of Deadpool & Wolverine is not the result of a sudden flash of inspiration, but a journey that has taken time.

After the success of the first and second Deadpool movies released in 2016 and 2018, Reynolds' masterful portrayal of the titular comic role redefined the superhero genre with its irreverent humor, unapologetic ferocity, and a charismatic antihero, propelling his character to pop-culture icon status.

In 2019, The Walt Disney Company finalized its $71.3 billion acquisition of 20th Century Fox, granting Marvel ownership of X-Men characters, including Wolverine. This paved the way for a movie featuring the pair together.

Reynolds and director Shawn Levy had been pitching ideas for years about developing a Deadpool film to Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, himself a legendary filmmaker known for turning Marvel from a debt-ridden comic studio into a cinematic behemoth. However, their proposals were turned down.

While the creative duo were stuck in deadlock in late 2022, Reynolds received Jackman's surprise call, leading Feige to quickly greenlight the movie, on one condition: that Wolverine wear his yellow and blue outfit, the character's original look from his comic debut in the early 1960s.