Blake Lively recently shared the intriguing backstory behind her casting as Lady Deadpool in the highly anticipated film ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’. The announcement of her role had sparked widespread speculation and fan theories, especially following a June teaser that provided only a brief glimpse of Lady Deadpool. Notable guesses for the role included Taylor Swift and Blake Lively herself.
Lively, who attended the ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ premiere in New York dressed in a Deadpool-inspired outfit, delved into how she secured the role. Contrary to popular belief, her casting wasn’t influenced by her marriage to Ryan Reynolds, who stars in and co-wrote the film.
In a social media post, Lively reminisced about early discussions with Reynolds while filming ‘Green Lantern’ in 2010. She recalled Reynolds describing Deadpool as a “‘meta’ superhero,” a term that was not widely understood at the time. “Most of us didn’t know what exactly meta meant back then. Except Taika bc he’s always been more brilliant than the rest of us mortals,” Lively explained, referring to their co-star Taika Waititi.
Around the same time, Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld introduced an unmasked version of Lady Deadpool, inspired by Lively. Liefeld had previously mentioned that he based the character on Lively due to his and his wife’s admiration for her role in ‘Gossip Girl’. “If ever we are blessed with Lady Deadpool on screen I’m pretty certain Ms. Lively will have some say in the casting,” Liefeld had noted in a 2022 post.
Lively was unaware of this connection during the ‘Green Lantern’ filming, and ‘Deadpool’ had not yet been greenlit. Reflecting on the journey, she wrote, “12 years later I read Rob’s post [about inspiring Lady Deadpool]. A year after that, deadpoolmovie 3 was filmed. The universe has such a magical sense of humor sometimes.”
She also praised director Shawn Levy for his guidance and creative vision. “There will never be another. His insane body of work speaks for itself. Thank you buddy for bringing me along with you in ways big and small,” Lively concluded. “What a ride you’re all in for…,” she added.
‘Deadpool and Wolverine’, released on July 26 in theatres, offers fans a chance to see Lively’s much-anticipated portrayal of Lady Deadpool.
