Deadpool & Wolverine features a lot of surprising cameos, from Wesley Snipes’ Blade to Channing Tatum’s Gambit. Although these appearances were kept secret, Ryan Reynolds previously confirmed that Rob McElhenney would be part of the movie. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen as his scene was cut from the final film, and Reynolds finally broke his silence on one of the biggest cameos the threequel should have featured.
In an episode of Welcome to Wrexham on May 23, McElhenney visited Reynolds on the set of Deadpool & Wolverine. At the time, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star seemed to film his part after he was later seen wearing a robe and appearing to try to hide what he was sporting inside, which was believed to be a TVA uniform. However, after the third Deadpool movie finally hit theaters, McElhenney wasn’t seen in it.
“While editing a movie, they say you ‘sometimes have to kill your darlings.’ And with a heavy heart [and through great outside intervention], I had to kill a darling with this cameo,” Reynolds explained in a post on Instagram.
The Canadian actor continued saying McElhenney’s scene didn’t work as originally planned. McElhenney was the only reason the cut stayed in the film, as viewers would still “feel him smoldering with a raw and almost infinite reservoir of talent” despite being under a TVA mask and helmet. So, although Reynolds loved doing this film, it still came with a lot of stress.
“There was a lot of expectation — and I’m pretty sure the most well written villain in cinema history is ‘Expectation,’” he added. “And when you do stressful stuff, it feels good when friends are nearby.”
Reynolds revealed that although mortified, McElhenney still flew to London to film his cameo that “wasn't meant to be.” He expressed gratitude for his friend's presence on set and for showing up for him and the team.
“Even as he begged for his life before Alioth snatched his unsuspecting body into the air, swallowing him whole, eventually digesting and converting him into Alioth-poo,” Reynolds uttered, revealing McElhenney’s supposed Deadpool & Wolverine scene. “RIP TVA Soldier.”
The Deadpool star had remained hopeful that McElhenney’s scene would still end up in the threequel’s digital release. He also claimed that McElhenney would make “an awesome Hydra Bob.”
Ryan Reynolds Honors Deadpool & Wolverine Costume Department
Deadpool & Wolverine continues to dominate the box office after retaking the number one spot over the weekend. The film is now the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing Todd Phillips’ 2019 Joker. With the threequel’s success, Reynolds has been paying tribute to everyone he has worked with and he now honors the film’s costume department.
“The costume department on #DeadpoolAndWolverine was second to none,” he wrote on Instagram. “I can’t think of a more stressful line of work on a film like this. SO. MANY. COSTUMES. And prototypes. And no room for error.”
Reynolds praised the group for its design and fabrication as well as engineering, sharing photos of the Deadpool Corps and the Resistance. For him, the suits didn’t only look good aesthetically, but they also functioned as beautifully as they looked. So, though it took him hours to pee with his suit on, it saved him from numerous injuries that he lost count of.
“This whole supersuit journey started and continues with Russ Shinkle and his team at @film_illusions,” he continued. “Huge thanks to tireless geniuses: Graham Churchyard, Mayes Rubio and Billy Lawless. Massive appreciation and awe to Ivo Coveny for making a NicePool suit [and many others, including 2099!!!!] beyond anyone’s wildest dreams and expectation.”
He also sent his love, appreciation, and thanks to the group behind the scenes at Pinewood and beyond for working hard to “create, fix, pivot, change, patch, and adjust” what felt like a thousand different suits every day. “What a team of heroes. You kept the wheels on the bus,” he ended his post.
Deadpool & Wolverine wouldn’t be as successful as it is without the hard work of those behind the scenes. Although McElhenney became a victim of film editing, as Reynolds explained, his scene was cut to create a better flow. The TVA’s involvement in the battle in the Void was removed to focus on the titular characters and the Resistance’s fight against the villain Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) and her allies.
