Deadpool & Wolverine’s New Juggernaut Shares a Connection With a $331 Million Ryan Reynolds Film as Shawn Levy Explains the Casting

The latest Marvel movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, is full of fun surprises and cool nods to the past. One of the biggest surprises in the film was the return of the famous villain Juggernaut, played by Aaron W. Reed.

It’s especially interesting because Reed has a surprising connection to the movie’s star, Ryan Reynolds. Notably, Vinnie Jones, who played Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, didn’t return due to budget constraints, making way for Reed. However, Reed’s Juggernaut has a surprising connection to his co-star’s previous film.

Aaron Reed’s Juggernaut and His Connection to Free Guy

Aaron Reed, a former wrestler and bodybuilder, has been steadily rising in Hollywood. His breakthrough came in the 2021 $331 Million (via Box Office Mojo) blockbuster Free Guy, directed by Shawn Levy—the same filmmaker behind Deadpool & Wolverine. In the film, Reed played ‘Dude,’ a villain whose body was used as a digital stand-in for Ryan Reynolds’ character.

Given Reed’s strong build, it makes sense he was chosen to play Juggernaut. Instead of using CGI like in Deadpool 2 (where Juggernaut was much bigger and looked more like the comic book version), the filmmakers wanted a more real, physical presence for the character.

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In an interview with Variety, Levy mentioned that they reached out to all the actors shown in the Fox tribute reel during the end credits. He also talked about a brief discussion on whether to use Vinnie Jones‘ Juggernaut or create a CGI Juggernaut. The 56-year-old added:

Ultimately, we thought that we had enough bringbacks in Aaron Stanford, Tyler, Jen and Wesley that we thought, ‘Let’s do another variant [with a different actor] and keep it non-CGI.’ So we used Aaron Reed, who plays Dude in ‘Free Guy.’

Casting Reed as Juggernaut shows the great teamwork between Reynolds and Levy. Moreover, the Canadian star’s loyalty is evident in how he continues to work with those he’s collaborated with before.

Aaron Reed Shared His Joy of Playing Juggernaut on Social Media

Aaron Reed worked in WWE’s FCW from 2009 to early 2010, using the names Lift Sawyer and Latham. He shared his excitement about playing Juggernaut on social media, calling it a “great ride” and praising the film’s top-notch cast and crew. The 42-year-old also talked about the positive atmosphere on set. Here’s what he had to say:

I was in Deadpool & Wolverine 💪 The Juggernaut#DeadpoolAndWolverine ❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/gymIrYWL0A

— Aaron W. Reed (@AaronWReed) August 3, 2024

Besides wrestling, Reed has also explored bodybuilding, television, and film. On TV, he has appeared in Jane The Virgin, NCIS: Los Angeles, French Connection, and Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse.

Deadpool & Wolverine is currently screening in theatres!