Ryan Reynolds Had a Machiavellian Plan for Deadpool 3's Release

It was an idea that the actor, screenwriter and producer was unable to bring to fruition because he considered it too dangerous.

In the middle of a promotional tour for Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds And Hugh Jackman made a stop on the plateau of Hot Ones US. The goal of the show posted on YouTube is simple: the interviewer asks a question to his guests, who must answer after swallowing a piece of chicken covered in hot sauce.

Between two personal anecdotes, strangled laughter and other extreme sweating, the interpreter of Wade Wilson/Deadpool, who is also the screenwriter and producer of the film directed by Shawn Levyrevealed the broadcast strategy he had imagined for this third opus. While the presenter of the show asks him “when a leak or spoiler can be considered a good thing before the movie is released”:

“Great question. It’s a tough one to know. I’m impressed that we’ve managed to get this far without some of our biggest surprises being speculated about online. It’s been so hard to keep it a secret. I’ve never talked about this before, but the original idea for this movie was to make a fake one, called Alpha Copwhich was intentionally bad. I even had one of the posters made. It was about two guys who share a brain and together create the ultimate cop. The poster said: 'Alpha Cop : 2 cops, 1 brain, nothing but balls'. It was supposed to be horrible enough that only about ten people in America went to see this movie on opening weekend. Five minutes into the movie, the Marvel logo would come on and Deadpool & Wolverine would have launched.”

Did you say evil? Even Hugh Jackman is left speechless when he hears an idea that will never come to fruition. Instead of a sneaky exit, Kevin FeigeShawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds took advantage of the effect “wow” by multiplying appearances, publicity stunts (like this very particular popcorn bucket) and promotional videos. The reason for this turnaround? Ryan Reynolds also gives it:

“The problem was that if we had reached the final stretch and the project had fallen through, it would have been heartbreaking.”

Because there have been leaks in the past. Hugh Jackman remembers that a week before the release, the entirety of X-Men Origins: Wolverine – which also features Ryan Reynolds as a dubious version of Deadpool – was illegally released on the internet, without the special effects.

“In fact, I think this is the only case where someone was prosecuted and imprisoned for leaking a movie. I remember someone saying that 10 million people had already seen the movie before it came out.”

Enough to put off even the most talkative spoilers. Deadpool & Wolverinecurrently in theaters.