Reynolds Ditches His Leading Man Mojo to Grovel for a Scrappy Spot Beside Tatum’s Gambit

Hollywood’s favorite foul-mouthed mercenary might be stepping out of the spotlight. Ryan Reynolds, star and driving force behind the smash-hit Deadpool films, says it may be time for his wisecracking anti-hero to scale back. Instead of another solo adventure, Reynolds imagines a future where Deadpool shows up as a guest in someone else’s movie — and he’s totally on board if that someone turns out to be Channing Tatum’s long-awaited Gambit.

In a recent “Actors on Actors” chat with Andrew Garfield for Variety, Reynolds joked that he would “happily be the fifth banana” in a Tatum-led Gambit flick. While he’s proud of Deadpool & Wolverine and how it wraps up its own story rather than just teasing another sequel, he admitted that making a Deadpool movie takes over his entire life, leaving him with less time for his family.

“I love the character and the fans love him too, but there are only so many times I can put poor Wade Wilson through the ringer,” said Reynolds. “Now that we’ve got a few films in the bag, I’m open to him popping up somewhere unexpected, in someone else’s story.”

The actor hinted that Marvel Studios is impressed with Tatum’s take on Gambit, which had previously been stalled. Reynolds thinks Deadpool teaming up with (or antagonizing) Gambit in a future project could be a match made in mutant heaven.

“I know I’m known for playing the lead in these movies, but hey, I’m ready to stand off to the side and let Gambit’s cards steal the show,” Reynolds joked.

With the Marvel universe always evolving, there’s no telling what surprises lie ahead. But if Reynolds has his way, the next time fans see Deadpool might not be in his own blockbuster — instead, he might just crash someone else’s party. And if that party belongs to Gambit, it sounds like Reynolds is more than ready to bring the chimichangas.