10 Actors Given A Second Chance In Superhero Franchises
1. Ryan Reynolds
The Failure(s) - Wade Wilson/Weapon XI – X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Hal Jordan/Green Lantern – Green Lantern (2011)
The Second Chance - Wade Wilson/Deadpool – Deadpool Series (2016-Present)
The butchering of Wade Wilson was one of the main criticisms aimed at X-Men Origins: Wolverine upon its release. The ‘Merc With The Mouth’ was turned into a character named ‘Weapon XI’ in this appearance, though he was also referred to as ‘the Dead Pool’ given that his powers were sourced from dead mutants. There was little of his signature wisecracking, leaving many (Ryan Reynolds included) sorely disappointed.
Shortly after Origins, Reynolds beat out the likes of Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto and Justin Timberlake to star in Green Lantern, the first cinematic outing for one of DC’s most popular characters. A critical and commercial failure, it left many questioning the star power of its leading performer, whose other outings in comic adaptations have included the dismal Blade: Trinity (2006) and R.I.P.D (2013), which resulted in losses of approximately $100 million.
With the Deadpool series, Reynolds has finally been given a chance to shine. Completely embracing the ridiculousness of the character (both on screen and in his interactions with fans and the press), he has headed up two hilariously brilliant films and will probably be given the opportunity to lead more despite Disney’s Fox acquisition, with the unique fourth wall breaking properties character utilised to facilitate his integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.