Another week, another trailer for a superhero movie. Actually, not quite a trailer, but very polished-looking (and NSFW) test footage of a yet-nonexistent movie. Ryan Reynolds is in the red mask as Deadpool, a Canadian samurai sword-wielding assassin, mercenary and vigilante from one of the more obscure corners of the Marvel Universe. The footage was shot way back in 2011, and presumably was leaked to reignite interest among studios. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner (the X Men movies) is busy trying to drum up interest and dollars from studios.
The footage looks cool, with great visual effects and Reynolds trading quips and blows with the bad guys (is it just me, or is he channeling Jim Carrey in The Mask?) It has been well-received on the internet particularly among fanboys – but it remains to be seen if that will translate into serious commitment from a studio, especially as Reynolds – a long-time supporter of the project – is insistent that the film be R-rated. R-rated superhero films are generally considered a risk, and the last time we had one was the rather brilliant Dredd, which unfortunately failed to find an audience. And is there an audience ready to see Reynolds as a superhero again? The last time we saw him in tights was as DC Comics’ Green Lantern, which we’re trying to forget.
