Ryan Reynolds, celebrated for his irreverent portrayal of Deadpool in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has left an indelible mark on superhero cinema with his sharp wit and boundary-pushing humor. Now, the actor has revealed in a recent interview that he pitched an R-rated Star Wars project to Disney. This bold proposal, described as a “Trojan Horse for emotion,” aimed to explore mature themes within the iconic franchise, signaling Reynolds’ ambition to bring a new emotional depth to the beloved universe.
The Star Wars franchise, spanning nearly five decades, has traditionally balanced family-friendly storytelling with moments of intense drama and moral complexity. Reynolds’ pitch, however, sought to push the boundaries further. Speaking on The Box Office podcast, he clarified that his vision for an R-rated Star Wars film wasn’t rooted in vulgarity or gratuitous content. “I don’t mean R-rated to be vulgar,” Reynolds explained. “It’s more like a Trojan Horse for emotion.” He envisioned a narrative that leveraged the freedom of an R-rating to delve into raw, unfiltered emotional territory, allowing for a broader range of character-driven storytelling that could resonate deeply with adult audiences.
Reynolds’ proposal came at a time when Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, has been exploring new directions for Star Wars. The franchise has seen a mix of theatrical releases, such as The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, alongside successful Disney+ series like The Mandalorian and Andor. While Andor has been praised for its gritty, mature tone, Star Wars has largely remained accessible to younger viewers. Reynolds’ pitch could have represented a significant departure, potentially aligning with the darker, more sophisticated storytelling seen in projects like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which tackled themes of sacrifice and rebellion with a grittier edge.
Details of Reynolds’ specific pitch remain under wraps, but he emphasized the potential for a wide array of characters to anchor the story. “It doesn’t have to be overt,” he noted on the podcast. “There’s a wide range of characters you could use.” This suggests a focus on complex, nuanced figures—perhaps exploring the moral ambiguities of the Star Wars universe, such as bounty hunters, rogue Jedi, or conflicted Imperials. Reynolds’ experience with Deadpool, a character who thrives in morally gray spaces, could have informed his approach, bringing a fresh perspective to a franchise known for its archetypal heroes and villains.
Previous Plans for Mature Star Wars Content
Reynolds’ pitch is not the first attempt to bring a more mature tone to the Star Wars universe. In 2005, George Lucas announced Star Wars: Underworld, a proposed live-action television series set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. This project, envisioned as a darker, more adult-oriented exploration of the galaxy’s criminal underbelly, aimed to focus on the Coruscant underworld and the political and personal dramas during the Empire’s rise. Lucas described it as a “soap opera with a bunch of personal dramas,” drawing inspiration from 1940s film noir rather than the franchise’s traditional action-adventure roots. Over 50 scripts were written, with contributions from writers like Ronald D. Moore, and extensive artwork was developed, but the series was shelved in 2010 due to its high production costs, estimated at $40 million per episode—nearly three times the cost of an episode of The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: Underworld was intended to explore complex narratives, including the origins of characters like Palpatine and the power struggles within the Empire, with a tone that Lucas and producer Rick McCallum described as “dark, sexy, and violent.” The series would have featured minor characters from the films and Expanded Universe, with possible cameos from figures like Darth Vader, but focused on new stories in the gritty lower levels of Coruscant. Although Underworld never materialized, its concepts have influenced subsequent Star Wars projects. For instance, The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi have explored Coruscant’s lower levels, while Andor adopted a grounded, mature tone, echoing the noir-inspired storytelling Lucas envisioned.
Reynolds’ R-rated pitch aligns with the spirit of Underworld in its aim to push Star Wars into more mature, emotionally complex territory. Like Lucas’ vision, Reynolds’ proposal emphasizes character-driven narratives over spectacle, suggesting a story that could explore the psychological and moral depths of the galaxy’s inhabitants. While Underworld was constrained by budget and technological limitations, Reynolds’ pitch benefits from the modern streaming landscape and Disney’s willingness to experiment with varied tones, as seen in Andor. However, Disney’s cautious approach to preserving Star Wars’ broad appeal, a factor that also halted Underworld, may pose a challenge to Reynolds’ vision.
Disney’s response to Reynolds’ pitch remains undisclosed, but the idea of an R-rated Star Wars film raises intriguing questions about the franchise’s future. Disney has cautiously expanded the Star Wars brand, balancing innovation with the need to preserve its broad appeal. An R-rated project could risk alienating younger fans but also attract a new demographic craving more mature narratives. Reynolds’ track record with Deadpool and Deadpool & Wolverine, both of which successfully blended humor, heart, and mature themes, could have made him a compelling candidate to spearhead such a venture.
The Star Wars franchise is no stranger to bold experiments. Films like The Empire Strikes Back pushed emotional boundaries with its darker tone, while Andor has demonstrated that audiences are receptive to more grounded, adult-oriented stories within the universe. Reynolds’ pitch could have built on this foundation, potentially exploring themes of loss, redemption, or the psychological toll of war in a galaxy defined by conflict. His emphasis on emotion as the core of the project suggests a story that prioritizes character development over spectacle, a hallmark of some of the franchise’s most beloved entries.
As Star Wars continues to evolve, with upcoming films like The Mandalorian & Grogu and a new trilogy in development, Reynolds’ pitch adds another layer of intrigue to the franchise’s future. Whether Disney will greenlight such a daring project remains to be seen, but Reynolds’ vision, much like Star Wars: Underworld before it, underscores the potential for Star Wars to grow beyond its traditional boundaries. His knack for blending humor, heart, and bold storytelling could have paved the way for a Star Wars film unlike any other, one that used the R-rating not for shock value but to deliver a deeply affecting experience.
