Credit: 20th Century StudiosRyan Reynolds became synonymous with the character of Wade Wilson almost overnight following the release of Deadpool in 2016. Directed by Tim Miller, the film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $782.6 million worldwide against a $58 million budget.
The Success of Marvel’s Deadpool Franchise
Its sequel, Deadpool 2 (2018), directed by David Leitch, outperformed its predecessor, grossing $785.9 million worldwide against a $110 million budget, and also received positive reviews. In 2024, the series culminated with Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), which saw Reynolds team up with Hugh Jackman’s hugely popular X-Men mutant, Logan. The film, which was also part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, grossed $1.338 billion.
Amid Reynolds’ success as Deadpool, it’s almost easy to forget that he first played a version of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), which starred Jackman. Another one of his superhero roles would have also gotten lost in the sands of time if Deadpool 2 hadn’t hilariously parodied the actor’s pre-Wade Wilson comic book career: Green Lantern (2011).
Related: Marvel’s ‘Wolverine’ Reboot Casts New Actor, Confirms Connection to ‘Spider-Man’ Trilogy
Ryan Reynolds’ First Superhero Was a Disaster
Green Lantern went down in history as one of the worst superhero movies of all time. It was also a box-office disaster, grossing $220 million worldwide against its $200 million budget. Directed by Martin Campbell, the film was universally panned and plans for a sequel were scrapped due to the commercial disappointment. Needless to say, Reynolds did not reprise his role as Hal Jordan. But now, DC Studios has finally unveiled the Green Lantern reboot.
Forming part of the newly established DC Universe (the DCU) that’s being run by James Gunn and Peter Safran, which launched on the big screen last year with Superman (2025), HBO’s Lanterns (2026) stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Nathan Fillion is also expected to reprise his role as Guy Gardner, having appeared in last year’s Superman. The first trailer for the series was released last week.
Related: Goodbye, Ryan Reynolds: Actor Replaced as Deadpool in New Marvel Project
Fans Aren’t Impressed With the Latest Reboot
However, fans are not impressed, with many pointing out that the series looks more like True Detective than a comic-book inspired superhero adventure, while others have taken aim at the fact that, inexplicably, the Lanterns’ costumes don’t actually appear to be green.
Reynolds’ CGI-rendered suit in Green Lantern didn’t go down well, either, but it was hardly the biggest gripe audiences had with that film. Whether Lanterns can continue the success of Superman remains to be seen. Either way, several DCU projects, including the HBO series, are locked in, with Supergirl (2026) and Clayface (2026) releasing in theaters this year.
Nevertheless, Ryan Reynolds has officially been replaced as Hal Jordan.
Will Ryan Reynolds Return as Deadpool?
As for Deadpool, there’s still no official word on whether he will appear in the upcoming crossover movie Avengers: Doomsday (2026), which has an enormous cast of returning actors, including Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Robert Downey Jr., this time as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom. Several actors from the X-Men movies have also reprised their roles, but Reynolds and Jackman are absent from the lineup.
With all that said, there are reports that both characters will appear in the film.
Meanwhile, Deadpool and Deadpool 2 star T.J. Miller has revealed that he’s spoken with Reynolds about the Merc With a Mouth’s future on the big screen, telling 101 WRIF Detroit that the actor’s “idea for the next Deadpool film is, like, really good.”
During the promotional tour for Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, Reynolds said that he wasn’t sure what the future holds for the character. “I have no idea if I’ll ever wear that Deadpool suit again,” he told Collider at the time, adding, “I hope I do — but I don’t know.”
Last year, Reynolds was replaced by Neil Patrick Harris as Wade Wilson in Deadpool VR.
Would you like to see Ryan Reynolds return as Deadpool? And do you think he could breathe new life into Hal Jordan in the same way? Let us know in the comments below!