Deadpool 3 Isn"t Ryan Reynolds" First Marvel Movie Speaking Ban

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Ryan Reynolds has been legally banned from improvising lines in Deadpool 3, but this isn't the first time that the actor has performed as Wade Wilson under a speaking ban. Ryan Reynolds was confirmed to be joining the MCU as Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Deadpool, after Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019, and since then, several of his Fox cast-mates have been revealed to be reprising their roles, including Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Although production on Deadpool 3 is well underway, as filming started in late May 2023, the Phase 6 film has been met with some setbacks, most notably the start of the Writers Guild of America strike.
As part of the MCU's Phase 6, Deadpool 3 is scheduled for release on November 8, 2024, and is set to see many mutant characters enter the MCU for the first time. Deadpool is perhaps the best character to bridge the gap between Marvel Studios' and Fox's franchises, as his quick wit and trademark fourth-wall breaks can ease his transition into the MCU. Many of these memorable jokes in both 2016's Deadpool and 2018's Deadpool 2 came directly from Reynolds' improvisations on set, which could spell bad news for Deadpool 3 amid the WGA strike. However, this isn't the first time that Deadpool has been inflicted with a speaking ban.
Ryan Reynolds Is Currently Forbidden From Improv On Deadpool 3

Although filming on Deadpool 3 was expected to begin in January 2023, and then in April, it didn't commence until May 22, 2023, soon after the start of the WGA strike. During the strike, a minimal amount of work can be done on films' scripts, with only small adjustments allowed by producers or directors, but not by writers. As a credited writer on Deadpool 3, Reynolds is not permitted to improvise any lines while the strike continues. It's unclear how long the WGA strike will last, but there are reshoots scheduled for Deadpool 3, so adjustments could be made then, allowing Reynolds to have a voice in his MCU debut.
Ryan Reynolds' First Deadpool Role Was Also During A Writers' Strike

While Ryan Reynolds has become synonymous with the current version of Deadpool, he originally portrayed a different iteration of Wade Wilson in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Despite Deadpool being completely wasted in X-Men Origins, audiences fell in love with Reynolds' portrayal of the character, leading to the eventual revitalization of Deadpool in 2016. Coincidentally, filming on X-Men Origins: Wolverine commenced just after the start of the 2007-08 WGA strike, though since Reynolds wasn't a credited writer on the film, this wouldn't have impacted his ability to devise his own lines.
Although David Benioff and Skip Woods are credited as penning the screenplay for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the film went through various rewrites prior to filming and the start of the WGA strike. David Ayer contributed to the script, before James Vanderbilt and Scott Silver were brought in for a last-minute rewrite before the strike began. This constant changing of hands perhaps caused the division surrounding X-Men Origins, as many criticized the film for its story and script, among other things. Luckily, Ryan Reynolds got the chance to shine as a more comic-accurate and beloved version of Deadpool, but it seems 2023's WGA strike could throw a spanner in the works.
Reynolds' Couldn't Speak For Much Of X-Men Origins: Wolverine For A Different Reason

The 2007-08 WGA strike didn't stop Ryan Reynolds from contributing ideas for his part in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but the film did find another way to silence the Merc-with-a-Mouth. Director Gavin Hood had himself stated that he was not a comic fan, so it's no surprise that several iconic Marvel Comics characters were butchered - literally in Deadpool's case - during X-Men Origins. In the comics, Deadpool is a hilarious force to be reckoned with, who is notoriously difficult to shut up. While audiences were given a taste of this during his introduction, Wade Wilson ended up with his mouth being sewn shut, and enhanced with several other mutant abilities.
This move took all the fun and personality out of Deadpool, making him nothing more than the run-of-the-mill, super-powerful, but boring villain. In a strange twist of fate, it seems as though 2023's WGA strike has once again sewn Ryan Reynolds' mouth shut, only metaphorically this time. Since Reynolds is legally banned for improvising lines during the production of Deadpool 3, it's unclear whether the upcoming MCU project will pack the same entertaining punch that its predecessors in Fox's X-Men franchise did. Audiences can only hope that the strike ends in time so that Reynolds and other members of the Deadpool 3 cast can put their own spin on the story.
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