Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman & Director Shawn Levy on Convincing Marvel to Make Deadpool & Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Shawn Levy Talk Making Deadpool 3
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00:00Hugh also unlocked the biggest thing. He sent us a 10-minute voice memo.
00:04It was more like 17 minutes.
00:06Which is a terrifying thing to get from anyone. You're like,
00:0817 minutes?
00:09The story gets weirder, right? Because Ryan and I were working out together,
00:12which already is just like a really shaky premise to any anecdote. Like,
00:17what am I doing in that day? And we get this text, and it's like a voice memo.
00:22And you click on it, and we see it's like 17 minutes. We're like,
00:25that guy couldn't just call? He couldn't type? So we're literally like spotting each other,
00:32listening. We connected Hugh's voice memo to the Bluetooth speakers in the gym.
00:37And it was Hugh scratching at, I'm happy with the script, but is there more?
00:50Don't just stand there, you ape. Give me a hand up.
00:52Nope, I'm actually okay.
00:56We had been trying to craft a story for several months. And we had some interesting approaches.
01:01We had some seeds of an idea as we were in conversations with Kevin, Feige, and Marvel.
01:06But it never quite gelled. But literally within a day of Hugh joining this story,
01:14my recollection is, we knew. We knew what the movie was.
01:18It just came to me like that.
01:20Really one day driving down. It was August 14th, I want to say. Driving down to the beach,
01:26and it was summer, and I was on a vacation. And on my way there, my mind was just drifting.
01:31And it just came to me, I really want to do this. And I knew it 100%. And I couldn't wait
01:36to stop the car. Literally stopped the car, got out, and called Ryan. And I said, I want to do
01:42this. He said, are you serious? I said, I'm serious. And I hung up the phone. I thought,
01:46I should probably call my agent. But basically, I just said, yes. And I said to both of these guys,
01:53I said, we really want to do this. We've got to make a really good reason for it to exist.
01:58After Logan, I was really happy with Logan. I felt we sort of landed the plane really well.
02:02And so we have to find a way to make this exist in its own right.
02:07And that was the why. The why is the duo. That Deadpool 1, Deadpool 2 are fantastic movies.
02:14Hugh's been in incredible Wolverine movies. But this pairing, that's new. And that's a why.
02:20And so the writing of the story and the making of the movie really became kind of an exploration of,
02:26well, what does this become when these icons and these men, these characters, are thrust together?
02:32And how we service both of them and also kind of acknowledge this long legacy of wish fulfillment,
02:40which is, for me personally, part of that wish fulfillment is that I was desperate to do this
02:45the right way with him at some point. But the signs are all there. I mean, Deadpool 1,
02:50the first line of the movie is me talking about him. The last, most emotional part of the film
02:56at the end is me taking my mask off. And I've stapled Hugh's fucking face to mine
03:01because I'm so embarrassed about how I look under the mask, revealing to the love of my life,
03:05this girl, Vanessa. And then in the second movie as well, I had to make a music box of
03:12Hugh with the tree thing stabbed through his heart. And as he goes around, and I still have
03:18the music box. It's one of my favorite things I own. And just acknowledging all that stuff,
03:23the landscape of how many different references have been to this wish that Deadpool's had,
03:29but also that I've had is to ride with my best buddy and make this, you know,
03:35this is because in some ways it's a love story between these guys.
03:37That call was a Monday. We had a Zoom meeting on Wednesday that was scheduled with Feige.
03:44And Ryan and I, we had acknowledged each other over that weekend. You know what? It's just,
03:50maybe it's not going to happen right now. We're not coming up with the story that feels
03:55inarguably worth making. Hugh called on a Monday, Ryan called me, we get on that Zoom with Feige
04:02on that Wednesday. And he's like, guys, look, I get, maybe we're not quite cracking it.
04:08And we were able to say, actually new wrinkle. What would you say to the Wolverine? And from
04:16then on, it was off to the races. The real challenge for us in the writing process and
04:21through making it was this is both of their movies and we need to satisfyingly tell both
04:28of these characters arcs and how they grow because of this adventure they went on together.
04:36I want to say something because the selflessness of both of them is so evident in the movie.
04:46These are two heavyweight actors. Yeah. But I mean, characters, but these guys as writers,
04:51producers have taken care of not just Wolverine, but every single character as if it's their own
04:58children. And that's how I felt. I was like, I've never felt such care for a character I've played
05:05for 25 years and known for 25. I've never felt such care. And some of the scenes and the dialogue,
05:11I was like, this is such a gift, but it was not that I witnessed it, not just with me,
05:15with every single character that appears in this movie. It's as if you're writing for your
05:21own children. That's how it felt to me. And I want to make this distinction because
05:25the three of us are sitting here and I, these guys produced and wrote this movie,
05:32bled till there was no blood left. And by the way, still, as soon as we finish this,
05:37probably going to work on it some more. So in terms of the movie teaching, the process of the
05:42movie teaching them how to move, but the edit to the mix, to every part of it. And I publicly just
05:49want to say how grateful I am. Well, he also just, I know we won't belabor the creative part of it,
05:53but too long, but he also unlocked the biggest thing in the, he sent us a 10 minute voice memo.
05:59It was more like 17 minutes, which is terrifying thing to get from anyone. You're like,
06:04the story gets weirder, right? Cause Ryan and I were working out together, which already
06:08is just like a really shaky premise to any anecdote. Like what am I doing in that gym?
06:14But this is true. And we get this text on our chain that is this endless kind of three person
06:20text chain. And it's like a voice memo and you click on it and we see it's like 17 minutes.
06:26We're like, the guy couldn't just call. He couldn't type. So we're literally like spotting
06:32each other, listening. We connected Hughes voice memo to the Bluetooth speakers in the gym and it
06:38was huge scratching at, I'm happy with the script, but is there more, but take also taking all this
06:45experience he has not just playing Wolverine, but as an actor, as a guy who's fronted movies in
06:50every genre you can think of. And whenever you write a movie like this, I think the important
06:55thing is to not write a comedy is to write a great movie and then work on the comedy afterwards. So,
07:00we were really just trying to structure a narrative that felt emotional and anchored and real.
07:05And he was scratching at something that was at first a little opaque and then suddenly came
07:11into view and then triggered. And like minute 12, minute 13, minute 14. Triggered epiphany after
07:15epiphany after epiphany. So he really, so you do have a huge hand in writing the movie as well
07:20because of that. I think it unlocked this incredible, yeah. One of my favorite parts
07:25of the film and your character in the film is from that voice memo. At some point I say,
07:29I am repeating myself and I'm going around. I think one point you said, you said,
07:32if you guys are still listening, that's right. And I, it was inarticulate. It was embarrassing,
07:38but some, I learned this from my acting teacher. When you first read a play or a script,
07:44write down everything you think because you never have those eyes again.
07:48And so I read the script and I just immediately did a voice note and I didn't call because I
07:52wanted it just to be my blah without any questions. And literally 60 minutes of it is crap,
08:00but there's probably a minute in there that ends up because you're just going, ah, and there's
08:04something in this. I don't even know what, hang on, I'm just going to the bathroom. Hang on one
08:08sec. And anyway, that flow too, real loud. Healthy flow. Robust. Vibrant.
08:16Hi Peanut. I'm going to need you to come with me right now.
08:19Look lady, I'm not interested. With Hugh stepping into the role of Wolverine, you know how like
08:25when you watch somebody there, the first time they step into something that is that iconic,
08:29it's just like, they just knew a language or understood something about that character that
08:34nobody else would have thought of or felt. Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, that first one
08:39where you're like, is he drunk? Is this a Disney movie? Is the lead character like hammered with
08:44gold teeth? You know, you just go, no, you can't. But you realize that that person has got their
08:50finger on something that is sort of perfect in its own imperfection. And I love that. But I
08:57noticed you see that with you, Eddie Murphy in the Nutty Professor movies. Again, you'd be like
09:02on paper, you'd go, well, that's nuts. I don't know if that's going to work. That's very risky.
09:06But sometimes what it's waiting for is a character is waiting for the actor
09:11who's meant to play them. And I will say as the director on this, when you're on set every day
09:18and you're watching not only two great actors, but in the roles that they are somehow magic in,
09:24where it's tapping into parts of Ryan, parts of you that are so intuitive and so singular and
09:31unique to them. That's why it's such a treat for us as an audience. And to get both these
09:37guys on screen together is the biggest treat I can imagine. How does life change for you when
09:42it's time to play Wolverine? Part of me likes it. I'm super lucky. I'm 55 and my job saying,
09:49we need you to get in the best shape of your life. Like I wouldn't do that if I didn't have the job
09:55to do it. And also there's no part of my DNA that's going to do 95%. I don't want to do a job
10:02that I feel I can do 95%. I just want to give everything. And coming back and working with
10:08two people that are giving 3000% and giving me this runway for this character that you said
10:15something really good, not only different in time, but also those parts of Wolverine that I've
10:18scratched at and never fully been able to unleash. I know people make too much of this in movies
10:24anyway. It places some weird expectation for a lot of actors, but that was remarkable. I mean,
10:29you started looking like Tommy Tune and you packed on an entire other hue. It was just
10:37like one of the great, I mean, we had a year or so, but I mean, it was still unreal. That was one
10:42of the most unreal things. It's twofold for me. It's not so much about the aesthetic thing,
10:47but I have to fill out the suit, you know, and you want to feel like you're, I think you want
10:52people to see that you're putting in the work. And for me, it's just a headspace. It's like
10:57the discipline of having to do that. Even if I don't have to, I want to. It just makes me feel
11:03like I earned it. You know, I have an intense relationship with Deadpool. I have always had
11:09an intense relationship with Deadpool. So, you know, one of the things Sean and I talked about
11:13when we were on the set of Atom Project, when I was like, will you please direct this movie,
11:18is that it's hard. You know, it's like, once you feel like you have it perfect, you have to make
11:22it 20 or 30% better. And that's a weird thing. That's a weird way to think during a creative
11:29process. And it really helps. I mean, it doesn't actually literally have to be 20%, but it helps
11:33you think that way and stay hungry for improvement. And I love it. So it's like, yeah, it's going to
11:40be a tough transition to not be doing this. It's like the infatuation of a love affair.
11:46It can ruin your life and it can drain all of you. But it also makes you feel fully alive.
11:53And that is how it feels now as we keep delaying the locking of picture tomorrow, tomorrow,
12:00tomorrow. What if we try this? What if you try this? And it's because it's the great love I don't
12:04want to let go of. Like I never want to not be making this movie. My middle daughter said,
12:10Daddy, when can you stop dead pooling? Soon, baby, I promise. Daddy's going to do nothing
12:17for a year after this. You do have to stop wearing that mask in the house.
12:20Yes, it is. It is weird. Blake insists. I don't know. I just do it. I do what she says.
12:28Since Deadpool is famously pansexual, is there sexual chemistry or tension between Deadpool
12:33and Wolverine? I can't speak for Wolverine, but I feel like Deadpool has a kind of sexual
12:37tension with everything and everyone. There's always a, you know,
12:41deny this is special. Don't deny the specialness. You're right. I feel it right now.
12:47My God, like two magnets facing the wrong direction. Yeah, no, he's kind of hypersexual
12:53really as well. But with Wolverine, I would say this. It's more that Wade and Deadpool there.
13:00He's a fan of Logan's. He's a fan of the Wolverine. And so I'd say other than the fact
13:07that they drive each other crazy or more to the point, he drives him crazy off screen and on.
13:13There's a reverence. There's a fan boy love. I don't know anything about saving worlds,
13:23but you do. I think we barely talked about the suit in the early development because it was just
13:30a no brainer. You don't do this character now unless he's in suit. I mean, I was just like an
13:36obvious, but then making the suit, these guys that make these suits, Rush Shankle, I mean,
13:41it's engineering. Is it a level of design that is taken for granted, frankly, once it's actually
13:48done and made? I mean, it's just a work of art. It is. When we first started this in 1999,
13:53there was like, oh, we can't have Technicolor. We can't have all those. That's not going to work.
13:58And so everyone was in black leather basically. And in some part of my brain, I think was a little
14:03institutionalized that, oh, that's the way it is. And then gradually watching the Marvel movies,
14:07I'm like, ah, this actually looks really cool. That looks great. And as soon as I put it on,
14:12I can't believe I never had it on before. It felt right. It looked right. It was incredible.
14:20The design of it is incredible. And I loved it. For a lot of Marvel fans, this might be their
14:28first R-rated movie. How young is too young to see this movie? It's obviously R-rated,
14:34and I don't want to get in trouble by encouraging. I do. So many kids have seen both Deadpool 1 and
14:43Deadpool 2. And I would say that this one uses all the sort of most essential aspects of those
14:50movies. But it's never rated R just to be rated R. I mean, a lot of it is just that's the character.
14:56The character is very crass. He's got his brain is like a half-eaten omelet. But if a half-eaten
15:00omelet was inside the skull of a seven-year-old half the time, I mean, it's a very particular
15:05thing. But he's a kind of shaggy dog character. My own kids have seen it. I mean, they're, you know.
15:11And mine.
15:12Yeah. And they came damaged. So, yeah.
15:16I'm going to be responsible here. Don't bring a two-year-old. I think a two-year-old.
15:19OK, fine. We draw the line at three.
15:22The sound level is really high. I would live it. Yeah.
15:24Thank you. Yeah. No problem.
15:26Don't bring a 114-year-old because that person will not be alive.
15:28Just on both edges of life. Yeah.
15:31Not appropriate. Put everything in the middle.
15:34Anyone in a diaper.
15:36Now that you are all officially part of VMC, would you be open to appearing in Avengers movies?
15:43Oh, I don't know. Yeah.
15:46Yeah. We'll see.
15:50You can just now is where you go to the descriptive part of the article.
15:53And you say shuffling in seats and stammered nothings.
15:58Clearly first major interview of this press tour. Not sure how to answer.
16:03We're going to get a far more packed and evasive answer for all future interviews.
16:07An echoing cough in the distance of hawk circles. You can throw that in there if you like.
16:11This is what I'm talking about.
16:15Big slow motion action sequence.
16:20Who knows if you live or die?
16:21When we lock this movie, it won't be a triumph. It'll be depressing.
16:25Yeah. We'll miss it so desperately.
16:27So I've been grateful to Kevin, Lou, Wendy Jacobson, who's our creative exec of the movie.
16:33And I know Sean has as well. They've just been amazing. They allowed us to kind of evolve
16:39not just Deadpool, but evolve Wolverine.
16:42And in some ways, the MCU.
16:44And yeah.
16:44Because this is just an injection of tone. Forget the rating.
16:49But the tone of this movie is very much its own weird beast.
16:54And I don't want to do Deadpool from Deadpool 2 or Deadpool 1.
16:58I want to do the one that's more reflective of this moment now.
17:02And so does Hugh. And this movie specifically gave us a really great opportunity to
17:09do something that departs a bit from the Wolverine we know,
17:14but still allows us to give many of those aspects of this character and his haunted nature.
17:20It's a lot of light as well. So it kind of ticks two boxes.
17:24I would say if we had the luxury of anything, it was because it's an MCU movie.
17:29The access to certain characters and certain mythology was pretty unrestricted.
17:37And that lent for some really juicy moments and storylines in the movie.
17:43And a lot of nagging. With Marvel, I've sort of noticed a pattern,
17:47which is like, can we maybe have this thing that we would love to see?
17:50And they're like, oh, no, absolutely not. That's just not even possible.
17:52From a legal perspective, that's not even possible.
17:55A week goes by and we're like, hey, can we have that thing we mentioned last week?
17:59They're like, well, we'll take a look. We'll see.
18:01And then a week later, it's like, no, we really need that thing.
18:03And they're like, OK, fine, have it.
18:04You know, we'll deal with it later.
18:05This did happen at least a half dozen times on
18:08certain things that are pretty now central to the movie.
18:11Some sacred cows. In 2024, people are craving connection and real world tactile experiences.
18:20And you sort of see it all around. I mean, even last year, you had these
18:25Barbenheimer, these huge event movies that people really felt compelled to experience.
18:32Together.
18:33Yeah, together. And I don't know, I mean, I watched a movie last night in a movie theater and
18:39laughing and crying and with folks from all over the place.
18:42It was just it's a magical experience unlike anything else.
18:45So, yeah, there are just things you feel in a movie theater that you would never feel elsewhere.
18:50I think you have to kind of have a movie that has a slightly heightened
18:55spectacle element that seems to draw people in,
18:59required to draw people in these days more so than,
19:02you know, those mid-budget films that packed them in in the early aughts before.
19:08But I think that'll never go away. That exhibition feeling is important.