After Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Throws Another DC Superhero Under the Bus for Ruining Fan Expectation
- Reynolds' Deadpool breaks rules, making fun of superhero norms.
- Deadpool's latest antics include poking fun at Marvel-DC competition.
- Deadpool's new movie mocks Dwayne Johnson's 'Black Adam' flop after Green Lantern.
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool has always been a rule-breaker. From his fourth-wall-shattering antics to his R-rated humor, the Merc with a Mouth has made a special place for himself in the world of superheroes.
His latest movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, which finally hit theatres yesterday, continues this trend. This time, though, Deadpool’s cheeky humor takes another shot at a DC superhero, after already letting fans down, just as he did with Green Lantern.
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool Takes a Direct Hit at Black Adam
One of the standout moments in Deadpool & Wolverine is a blatant dig at Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. The film cleverly uses the excitement about Johnson’s character, who was supposed to be a big deal in the DC Universe. At least that’s what The Rock claimed before the release of Black Adam—that it would “change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe.”
It will change.
The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe will change.
Disruption is needed. #BlackAdam https://t.co/ATHzwMjkhu— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 6, 2021
However, Black Adam was released just when new CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were preparing to restart the whole universe. Unfortunately, all the talk of changing the DC Universe faded when Black Adam flopped at the box office and was quickly left out of the rebooted DC plans.
Deadpool cleverly uses this by joking about Wolverine changing the power dynamics in the MCU, directly poking fun at Johnson’s claims about Black Adam. If you see it just as a random dig, then it’s not. It’s a smart way to point out how different the two franchises are. Marvel runs like a well-oiled machine with its connected stories and plans.
DC, however, has had a tough time making its movies fit together. Beyond the obvious comedic value, this particular gag also touches on the troubled relationship between Reynolds and Johnson. There were reports (by TMZ) of tension between them while filming Red Notice, which makes the joke even more interesting.
Ryan Reynolds Has Roasted His Green Lantern Role Several Times in the Deadpool Franchise
In the opening credits of the first Deadpool film, there’s a subtle jab at Ryan Reynolds’ past role. A Green Lantern collector’s card appears, showing a smiling Reynolds. Later in the movie, Reynolds’ character pleads with his captors not to make his superhero suit green or animated—a funny reference to his role as Green Lantern.
Deadpool 2 takes things to a whole new level. In a time-traveling post-credits scene, Reynolds is seen reading the “beautiful” Green Lantern script before being shot in the head by Deadpool himself. These are just a few examples of Reynolds’ ongoing comedic crusade against the Green Lantern movie. It’s clear that he has taken the film’s failure with humor and, by doing so, has given it a new life as a cult classic.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently screening in theatres!
