10 Actors Who Had Incredible Career Revivals

He can make fun of it now for easy laughs and popularity, but back in 2011 the bombing of Green Lantern was a big deal for Ryan Reynolds.

The laughing stock nature of the film gave a pretty poor impression of Reynolds’ acting chops and ability to be a leading man, resulting in flops like R.I.P.D., less than original comedies like The Change-Up and small cameos in otherwise successful films – sometimes even unsuccessful films like A Million Ways to Die in the West.

For five years it seemed like Reynolds’ days as a prominent force in Hollywood were over, and then along came a pop culture juggernaut.

Reynolds has truly reinvented himself as Deadpool, as the years of development to do the character justice and his success as the titular role broke him from all of his previous stereotypes to create a new funny-man ready for A-list status.

Since Deadpool’s success Reynolds has helmed a successful sequel, as well as box office hits The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Detective Pikachu. Reynolds has become something of a pop culture icon, with the memories of Green Lantern simply a way to make himself even more endearing every time he rips the movie to shreds.