Movies

Why Ryan Reynolds’ First Attempt in Superhero Genre Was a Mess

Why Ryan Reynolds’ First Attempt in Superhero Genre Was a Mess
Image credit: Focus Features

Ryan Reynolds' first superhero role was a total disaster.

Ryan Reynolds, the charismatic actor we now love as Deadpool, had a rocky start in the superhero genre. Before he donned the red suit and became the Merc with a Mouth, he had quite a history in the superhero genre.

His very first role in a comic book adaptation was in the Blade franchise, specifically in Blade: Trinity. But what did go wrong?

From the get-go, there were tensions on the set of Blade: Trinity. Reynolds and Wesley Snipes, the star of the Blade franchise, didn't exactly get along.

According to sources, Snipes was not a fan of Reynolds' constant joking on set. In fact, the two had such a strained relationship that Snipes would communicate with Reynolds only through Post-it notes, signing them as "Blade".

Why Ryan Reynolds’ First Attempt in Superhero Genre Was a Mess - image 1

Reynolds' character, Hannibal King, was a quick-witted vampire hunter with a dark past. Even though Reynolds got to show off his skill for quick and witty conversations in this role, it was quite different from the beloved Deadpool character we all love.

King's humor was more forced, and the character lacked any interesting traits that Reynolds later brought to Wade Wilson in Deadpool.

Blade: Trinity was pretty messy overall. The movie had a not-so-great villain, characters that didn't really stand out, and it didn't make the most of its interesting ideas. The camera work wasn't anything special, and the music didn't do much to make the scenes better.

The Nightstalkers, a team they brought in the movie, were kind of left hanging without much backstory, and the villains, including a poorly executed Dracula, were forgettable at best.

Despite the film's many flaws, there were glimpses of Reynolds' potential. His portrayal of Hannibal King showed that he could make a comic-book hero relatable.

Blade: Trinity didn't go as planned, but it taught Ryan Reynolds some lessons. Or maybe not? There were a couple more bumps along the way with X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and the infamous Green Lantern (2011).

But Ryan Reynolds did his best to make things right, and now we are eagerly waiting for his Deadpool to return in the third installment, now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter