Ryan Reynolds: Cinema’s most successful case of unrealised potential
The win column continues stacking ever higher for Ryan Reynolds, with the actor and producer recently adding even more impressive accolades to the list of achievements that have cemented him as one of the biggest and most bankable stars in the entire industry.
Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine is the highest-grossing R-rated release in the history of cinema, the biggest and most lucrative vindication of Reynolds’ commitment to the character yet. Beyond that, it set another precedent that further underlined his credentials as a certified Hollywood power player.
It’s the 34th instalment in the long-running superhero franchise, but Deadpool & Wolverine is the first where any production companies other than Marvel Studios have been involved. One of them is the Maximum Effort banner co-founded by Reynolds and George Dewey, which also makes him the first actor to ever be credited as a hands-on producer in an MCU movie.
Reynolds is a box office draw, an A-list megastar, and a massively successful business magnate with his fingers in many pies including Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile, and Wrexham AFC, while he also sits on the board of directors at the internet and technology company Match Group and owns his own advertising firm.
He’s steered the Deadpool trilogy to almost $3 billion in ticket sales, played a leading role in box office hits like IF, Detective Pikachu, Free Guy, and The Hitman’s Bodyguard, dipped his toes into musical waters and ensured he and Will Ferrell’s Spirited will become a festive staple, and all three of his Netflix original films – Michael Bay’s 6 Underground, Shawn Levy’s The Adam Project, and Red Notice – ended up among the streaming service’s top ten most-watched exclusives ever in the 28 days following their release.
Based on everything listed above, it might sound preposterous to even suggest that Reynolds has wasted his potential, but give it a little more thought, and it makes a great deal more sense. Sure, he’s conquered the worlds of cinema and business with the greatest ease, but when was the last time it genuinely felt like he was ready, willing, or even able to break out of his wheelhouse and try something truly daring?
Of course, there are plenty of actors who found something that works and stuck to it rigidly, but in almost all of those cases, the shine eventually wears off. Adam Sandler broadened his horizons with semi-regular reminders that he’s actually an incredible actor, Dwayne Johnson is getting serious for the first time ever in The Smashing Machine, while Jason Bateman and Vince Vaughn revitalised themselves by taking on dramatic roles that were the opposite of their established personas.
There’s no denying that Reynolds is one of the smartest and savviest operators in the business, but at what point does his shtick begin to wear thin? It clearly hasn’t happened yet, but history has indicated that it will eventually. Every single part he’s played for the last decade is one that he could do in his sleep, with the wisecracking and smart-mouthed master of sardonic sarcasm his go-to because it’s not too dissimilar from who he is in real life.
The wheels aren’t in danger of coming off, but ironically, they were beginning to wobble until Deadpool came along. Before that, Reynolds headlined a number of bombs in quick succession. X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Green Lantern, The Change-Up, and RIPD all struggled, and not even partnering up with Denzel Washington on Safe House generated enough money to guarantee the sequel it was clearly created with the intention of spawning.
Audiences weren’t buying what he was selling back then, and although they certainly are now, history has a funny way of repeating itself in Hollywood. Reynolds has shown himself to be an excellent actor when he either quietens down, subverts, or abandons his tried-and-trusted persona, but any potential he’d shown was quickly cast aside when familiarity took pride of place above range, versatility, and the big swings any actor should be taking regularly if they want to ensure longevity.
He’s never been better than he was in Rodrigo Cortés’ Buried, passing one of cinema’s most daunting tests with flying colours. Being in every single frame of an entire film is a tough task, but in a straightforward dramatic performance, Reynolds was magnificent. Black comedy The Voices took his usual tricks and tics down a much darker alley and succeeded, while his megawatt charm was used to manipulatively engaging effect in Mississippi Grind.
That the most recent of those three released in 2015 speaks volumes about Reynolds’ reluctance to clamber out of his comfort zone, even though it’s clear he’s got much more to offer. He might be one of the most successful stars in recent memory, but coasting through his career on autopilot in perpetuity presents a real danger of that untapped potential as a multifaceted actor capable of doing just about anything going to waste.
