"Brace yourselves for an exhilarating journey, folks!" she exclaimed on social media, sparking a frenzy of speculation over who would embody the enigmatic Lady Deadpool in the upcoming 'Deadpool & Wolverine' flick. When avid fans caught a fleeting glimpse of the character in June's tantalizing Best Friends Day teaser, imaginations went wild. The fleeting shot, showcasing legs subtly reminiscent of a woman's, ignited a firestorm of conjecture, with names like Taylor Swift, a close pal of Ryan Reynolds, and Blake Lively cropping up as potential candidates.
As fate would have it, one of those guesses hit the bull's-eye. Blake Lively was unveiled as the actress behind Lady Deadpool's mask, and she gracefully shared the behind-the-scenes tale of how she landed the role—a feat that transcended her marital ties with the star and co-writer.
In a captivating social media narrative, the 'It Ends With Us' star, donning a scarlet Deadpool-inspired suit at the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' New York premiere, reminisced about the time Reynolds first divulged his vision to bring the raunchy anti-hero to life while they co-starred in 'Green Lantern'. "He painted a picture of a 'meta' superhero," Lively recounted, recalling how her now-husband explained the concept to her and their fellow co-star Taika Waititi back in 2010. "Meta was a foreign term to most of us then, save for Taika, who's always been a cut above the rest. We grasped the idea theoretically, but its audience appeal remained nebulous to all except him. It seemed like a distant dream; the movie seemed destined to remain unmade."
Coincidentally, around that time, Deadpool's creator, Rob Liefeld, debuted an unmasked Lady Deadpool, unbeknownst to Lively that he had modeled her entirely after her, inspired by his and his wife's avid 'Gossip Girl' fandom. Sharing a screenshot of Liefeld's post, Lively revealed his adoration for her portrayal of Serena Van Der Woodsen, stating, "He invoked Blake on 'GG,' and the nod was theirs. Serena Van Der Woodsen lives on." He even predicted her involvement in the Lady Deadpool casting, had the opportunity ever arisen.
Lively humorously noted that Liefeld was unaware of her collaboration with Reynolds on the 2011 superhero film, as 'Deadpool' hadn't even secured the green light back then. "A dozen years later, I stumbled upon Rob's post about Lady Deadpool's inspiration. A year later, 'Deadpool 3' was in the can," she continued, marveling at the serendipity. "The universe, sometimes, has a wicked sense of humor."
Closing her heartfelt post, Lively paid homage to director Shawn Levy, deeming him unparalleled. "He stands in a class of his own. His remarkable oeuvre speaks volumes. Thank you, buddy, for including me in your incredible journey, in every way, big or small," she wrote, echoing her initial sentiment, "What a wild ride you're all embarking on..."
