Ryan Reynolds is famous for not being the one to play by the rules. In the cinematic world of superheroes, he is the unpredictable man that makes even serious plots funny. His Deadpool franchise has been a game changer since its inception because of its fourth-wall-breaking humor and irreverent storytelling.
But even Reynolds has limits. And sometimes those limits are set by the studios that produce his concepts and imagination, and a similar thing happened during Deadpool & Wolverine, where Disney drew a line when it came to protecting one of their beloved characters.
Ryan Reynolds’ wild pitch for Deadpool 3 that Disney shut down immediately
Deadpool & Wolverine started as a team-up project that fans have been waiting for for years. With Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the lead, the film delivered everything that fans hoped for. However, one of Reynolds’ pitch ideas was so wild that it was never put into practice.
Bambi has been a beloved Disney character whose tragic story has made many generations emotional. Reynolds, staying true to his reputation, suggested a storyline where Wade Wilson teams up with the hunter who shot Bambi’s mother.
In his recent appearance on Variety’s Actors on Actors along with Andrew Garfield, Reynolds revealed his pitch and said,
Then I pitched one where I’m like, ‘It’s a two-hander with me and the hunter who shot Bambi’s mom.’ Which was, y’know… Their answer was, ‘We don’t touch Bambi, Ryan.’ OK, we don’t touch Bambi.
The first Bambi, made in 1942, is an animated movie telling a story of the young deer’s life. One of its most infamous and emotional scenes is the one where a hunter kills Bambi’s mother. Reynolds’ pitch to include this character in the Deadpool universe was simply audacious.
Moreover, as per Empire, Reynolds came up with about 18 ideas for Deadpool 3 and pitched them to Kevin Feige. Some of them were as chaotic as Rashomon-style multi-perspective narratives, while others were more focused like a Sundance-style film.
However, the Bambi hunter pitch was seen as possibly the most outrageous out of them, as Disney has built its reputation for being family-friendly. The studio didn’t allow him to turn one of its most innocent characters into a dark comedy punchline.
Future of Deadpool in the MCU
Apart from pitching wild ideas, Ryan Reynolds is also thinking about the practical aspect of portraying his role in the future. It has been eight years since he has been playing Deadpool, and it gets hard for him to bring up something new that also matches the unpredictable image of his character.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds said,
Centering Deadpool works best if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall. I can’t really do that again. A fourth time feels a little iterative and redundant. That doesn’t mean sacrificing fun. There is still an arc for Deadpool which is fulfilling and powerful.
Reynolds’ love for the foul-mouthed antihero is well known. The actor has also publicly stated many times his fondness for Shawn Levy and how he enjoyed working with Hugh Jackman. However, the possible plotlines and premises for Deadpool in a solo heroic story are decreasing.
Reynolds shared a similar sentiment, as he is open to playing Deadpool as a supporting player. Moreover, the ending of Deadpool 3 foreshadows his future appearances in the multiverse, as Hunter B-15 states his role might just have started.
Deadpool & Wolverine is available to stream on Disney+.
Frequently asked questions
What Deadpool pitch did Ryan Reynolds say Kevin Feige and Disney rejected?
Reynolds said he pitched a two-hander pairing Deadpool with the hunter who shot Bambi’s mom from Disney’s 1942 animated classic. Speaking on Variety’s Actors on Actors, he recalled the reply being, in effect, ‘We don’t touch Bambi, Ryan.’ Disney passed to protect one of its most emotionally resonant family-friendly properties.
How many ideas did Reynolds reportedly pitch, and what were some of the others?
Per Empire, Reynolds floated roughly 18 ideas for the third Deadpool film, many of them deliberately unconventional. Alongside the rejected Bambi team-up, his pitches reportedly included a Rashomon-style story told from multiple perspectives and a smaller, Sundance-style indie concept. The project eventually became Deadpool & Wolverine after Hugh Jackman signed on.
Does Reynolds want to keep leading Deadpool movies after this one?
He signaled some hesitation about leading again. He told The Hollywood Reporter that Deadpool works best ‘if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall,’ adding ‘I can’t really do that again,’ and suggested he is open to Deadpool appearing as a supporting character in future projects rather than headlining another solo film.
