Ryan Reynolds is open to getting a boyfriend in ‘Deadpool’ sequel
There’s been a lot of buzz around Deadpool as the definitive anti-hero comic book film of its time, and its leading man, Ryan Reynolds has used the subsequent media buzz to generate some important conversations around the perceptions of sexuality and masculinity across mainstream Hollywood.
Reynolds’ take on the Marvel character is being hailed for its pansexual deviation from the ‘straight’ superhero archetype, and while Deadpool has no male lover in the film, this could very well change depending on the way 20th Century Fox chooses to develop a franchise of movie sequels, reports Variety.
Speaking at the film’s red carpet premiere in New York, Reynolds said it would be “great” to see Deadpool nab a man in any potential sequel.
“I certainly wouldn’t be the guy standing in the way of that,” said Reynolds.
“That would be great.”
The 39-year-old actor added he had also really embraced the pansexual nature of the Marvel character, with the first instalment of the film hinting at a fling with Wolverine, as well as the character’s openness to sexual experimentation.
“I love that about Deadpool,” said Reynolds.
“I love that he can break any boundary. In the future, I hope we get to do that more.”
Like Reynolds, the film’s creative team behind the film were keen to honour this aspect of the character on the big screen. “We knew that was part of the comics,” said screenwriter Rhett Reese.
“We wanted to honour that in the movie. But we did it in subtle ways.”
Producer Simon Kinberg said he was open to exploring a male lover for Deadpool in the future.
“There’s veiled references to it in this film. It’s in the DNA of the character.”
The move could definitely pave the way for greater diversity in filmmaking, as a landmark study published last year by University of Southern California researchers found a gross underrepresentation of LGBT voices in Hollywood.
Of the films included in the study, just 19 characters across the 4,610 characters (0.4%) in the 100 top films of 2014 were lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Deadpool is in UK cinemas now – check out our review here.
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