Ryan Reynolds Recalls Sacrificing Deadpool Salary to Pay Writers

Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool are finally entering the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine. As popular as the character is today, it took years to bring Wade Wilson to the screen. Reynolds had been developing a Deadpool movie as early as 2004. After nearly a decade in development, Deadpool finally started shooting in 2015.

However, the challenges of bringing Deadpool to the big screen continued during filming. The production could not afford to keep Deadpool co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set, so Reynolds stepped in with a solution.

Why Did Ryan Reynolds Give Up His Salary on Deadpool?

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Reynolds explained how he sacrificed his Deadpool salary to ensure his co-writers stayed on set.

“When I finally got to make it, it had been almost 10 years at that point. No part of me was thinking when Deadpool was finally greenlit that this would be a success,” Reynolds said. “I even let go of getting paid to do the movie just to put it back on the screen: They wouldn’t allow my co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set, so I took the little salary I had left and paid them to be on set with me so we could form a de facto writers room.”

The gamble paid off, as Deadpool became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with over $782 million worldwide, a record that stood until Deadpool 2. This decision to prioritize the movie over money was a lesson that stuck with Reynolds.

(Source: The New York Times)