On behalf of DiscussingFilm, CJ Paschall sat down and talked with the writers of both Deadpool & Deadpool 2 regarding their work on the film and much more, make sure to read below and let us know your thoughts on Deadpool 2:
INTERVIEWER: Given the success of the first Deadpool, was the writing process different at all for Deadpool 2, given that you now knew what you had in the audience’s eyes?
Paul Wernick: The process for writing Deadpool 2 wasn’t really that different, but what was different was the pressure. We kind of flew under the radar with the first one, and actually began writing the second film in June of 2015 right after we had wrapped principal photography on the first film. The major difference also was that Ryan Reynold’s involvement. He was involved in the writing of the first film, but this time he was actually sitting with us and typing away on his laptop. Me and Rhett have always written as partners but this time we formed a sort of triumvirate.
INTERVIEWER: You mentioned that you started writing the sequel very early on, before the release of the first Deadpool. The first appearance of the “X-Force” is obviously one of the big draws of the film. How did that roster evolve overtime in the writing process, and were there any other characters you wanted to include?
Rhett Reese: That “faux” X-Force seen in the film actually came about very late in the process. Early on in the film we knew we wanted to include Cable and Domino and Firefist, but the “X-Force” didn’t make it until a much later draft. The whole thing is set up for comedy, you know, I think it’s about a 10-minute scene and by the end of it they’re all gone so it doesn’t really affect the plot that much when we put it in.
INTERVIEWER: The post credits scene is getting a lot of positive buzz, what was the idea/writing process for those scenes? I know there was a previous interview where you had mentioned a potential return to the X-Force recruitment sequence.
Paul Wernick: What you’re referring to is the coda. The coda didn’t come about until later in the process, and it’s very much driven by what the film needs at that time. I think it was David (Leitch) or someone in David’s camp that brought up the idea of time travel for the scene, and Ryan Reynolds was very on-board. I think we all have some mistakes in our past we’d like to take care of with time travel! So, you’ve got him saving Vanessa, which is key because we love that relationship so much, and of course saving Peter, and then Ryan has his therapeutic killings as well.
INTERVIEWER: I don’t want to read too much into this, but does him travelling back and changing the past Back to the Future-style undo the events of the movie? Does Wade wake up in the “alternate 1985” in Deadpool 3?
Paul Wernick: No, I don’t think so. We don’t take that too seriously or read too much into that, because it could always be solved by Deadpool turning into the camera and saying “Lazy writing!”
INTERVIEWER: Jumping over to another Marvel Comics project, that Tom Hardy Venom film is coming out this year. You guys wrote a script for Venom for Sony in the past, what can you say about your vision for that project and do you see any connections between this film and your vision for the property?
Rhett Reese: No, if anything just distant echoes of our ideas. We had taken some liberties and made some changes to the character when we made our script and I think Sony wanted to skew a little bit closer to the character’s comic book background. We’re just spectators on this one.
Paul Wernick: But they have such a good team on that film. Ruben Fleischer is so good and Tom Hardy is an amazing actor. It’s definitely in good hands.
INTERVIEWER: It was just announced that Netflix will be co-producing and releasing Six Underground which is based on an screenplay made by yourselves, firstly, congratulations and secondly what can you tell us about that film?
Rhett Reese: We actually can’t say much of anything at this point! But, it is very exciting. This is our third film we’ve done with Ryan (Reynolds), we begin filming in late summer I believe and Michael Bay is the king of big action films. And that’s what this is: a big action film.
Deadpool 2 is currently out in cinemas.
Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool meets Russell, an angry teenage mutant who lives at an orphanage. When Russell becomes the target of Cable — a genetically enhanced soldier from the future — Deadpool realizes that he’ll need some help saving the boy from such a superior enemy. He soon joins forces with Bedlam, Shatterstar, Domino and other powerful mutants to protect young Russell from Cable and his advanced weaponry.
