DEADPOOL came out this year to unexpected, massive, globe-spanning, holy-shit-this-is-insane success. It took the superhero movie we’ve become accustomed to seeing and flipped it for a filthy loop. But the movie hasn’t just taken the superhero genre by storm, but the Oscar race as well.
Making a shocking presence at the Globes and several Guild awards, some believe DEADPOOL has a genuine shot at some Oscars, which could affect some of the more humorous material in the next film. Reynolds sat down with Variety to talk about the movie’s stunning awards presence, and was asked how he thinks the character will respond to all the attention:
I don’t know that he’ll talk about awards season, but maybe something about how great the year has been. Maybe Deadpool will have, like, 20% more self-loathing because of it.
Unless you were in a coma for all of 2016 then you know the character is known for his meta, self-referential, fourth-wall-breaking humor, poking fun at Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Reynolds’s own GREEN LANTERN. On that note, the character making some Oscar jokes isn’t too far-fetched, and on a serious note Reynolds is amazed it’s even happening:
Even when we made the film, the expectations were quite low. And any time there’s been anything campaign-oriented, it’s mostly been tongue-in-cheek. In terms of the push for awards and awards attention, we’ve been pretty quiet about it, other than just showing up.
Though I loved the movie I’m just as shocked as anyone to see all the awards attention it’s getting. Voters are loving how the passion project defied expectations and, in a way, subverted the genre to the point where they feel they can award it without feeling like they’re selling out to blockbuster fanfare. That being said, if DEADPOOL fails to show out at this year’s Oscars the franchise can close that window for good, as it probably won’t garner the same enthusiasm in voters (see THE DARK KNIGHT RISES) the next time around. At the very least they should let Gina Carano do a surprise superhero landing on the Oscar stage. Gotta keep Meryl Streep on her toes.
Check back with us Tuesday morning to see if DEADPOOL will get his shot at the gold.