Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Movies Star Wars fans are discussing one major moment in The Rise of Skywalker
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Project Hail Mary directors think it was important to make sure their end of the world sci-fi drama was funny
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Animated Movies Adam Driver accidentally "invented this thing that changed animation forever" as Kylo Ren: the Adam Driver bar
The first trailer for Markiplier's Iron Lung adaptation is here
Horror Movies Markiplier ditched Iron Lung VFX company over budget and turned his bathroom into "render farm" with servers from eBay
John Boyega as Finn wielding Luke Skywalker's lightsaber in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars Movies Star Wars fans are debating Disney's "abandoned" saga decisions
Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Movies Steven Soderbergh says he is "very disappointed" by the decision to cancel The Hunt for Ben Solo
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Ryan Gosling's upcoming sci-fi film Project Hail Mary is reportedly Amazon's most expensive movie ever
Hawkeye
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man showrunner reveals Hawkeye went through massive changes weeks before filming
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
Sci-Fi Movies Stranger Things nearly saw Vecna switch sides until the Duffer Brothers changed their minds
An unmasked Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) sitting across from Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again will "let rip" in season 2 in a way they "might not have been able to" in the first season
A close-up of Wolverine in his iconic yellow and black X-Men costume, grimacing as he raises his claws close to this chest - cropped from the game's key art with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame
Action Games With Wolverine set to elevate superhero gaming in 2026, here's the four features I want the most, and four I'm desperate to avoid
best Tom Cruise movie moments
Marvel Movies Deadpool and Wolverine writer thinks this Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise AI slop fight scene means "it's over" for Hollywood
The Beauty
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (January 23-25)
Scooby-Doo: The Movie
Family Movies James Gunn's R-rated version of Scooby-Doo was "very funny", says Matthew Lillard – but parents rejected it
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. Marvel Movies
  5. Deadpool 2

"That's just the dumbest thing ever": Ryan Reynolds reveals the original (rejected) Deadpool 2 pitch – and it is *weird*

News
By Bradley Russell published 15 August 2018

What does The Voice have to do with Deadpool?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson holding a blade in Deadpool 2
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Oh, Ryan Reynolds. Fresh off the original Deadpool making a billion bucks, he was chucking ideas at the wall to see what might stick for a sequel. Case in point: his original Deadpool 2 pitch involved a heist (so far, so normal)… for the big, red chair from reality TV show The Voice. As you can imagine, it was quickly rejected.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show, Reynolds revealed one of the very first ideas he had pitched to Fox. Words can’t quite do it justice.

“At the time – my first pitch to the studio was not met very well,” the Deadpool star told Fallon. “I pitched them for [Deadpool 2]… the whole story of the movie would be Deadpool trying to steal the big, red chair from The Voice. And they were like: ‘That’s just the dumbest thing ever.’”

You may like
  • Deadpool and Wolverine Ryan Reynolds is reportedly focused on developing Deadpool 4
  • best Tom Cruise movie moments Deadpool and Wolverine writer thinks this Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise AI slop fight scene means "it's over" for Hollywood
  • Deadpool in Marvel Rivals Deadpool finally revealed for Marvel Rivals: the first hero who can play all 3 roles, and also block ults with his ass

Ouch. And I thought my first pitches were rough. But only Ryan Reynolds could get away with pinning the hopes of a billion-dollar franchise on a joke about a piece of furniture on a TV show. 

The chair in question – yes, it spins – is sat on by the judges before pressing their buzzer and turning around to see the singer in action. It’s just silly enough to have worked – but I’m glad they went a different route. That joke would’ve fallen flat after a couple of rewatches.

Reynolds also opened up on that cheeky Brad Pitt cameo. Spoiler: he’s in it for a split-second as The Vanisher and, as Reynolds explains it was a hard sell: “He doesn’t speak and he’s invisible. And [Fox] are like, ‘Why Brad Pitt?’ Oh, because you see him, you know, for a quarter of a second… then he unfortunately dies by electrocution.” That’s showbusiness, for you. One day you’re Brad Pitt, megastar and, the next, you’re Brad Pitt, cameo death punchline.

But back to the chair. If something like that is still spinning around in Reynolds’ mind then it’s possible that Deadpool 3 could yet involve a heist of some kind. Maybe X-Force are back – now that the Deadpool 2 post-credits are out of the way – and ready to pull off a big score? For the love of God, just keep The Voice away from it.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

That's not everything that didn't make the cut. You can now watch the canned Deadpool 2 post-credits scene starring Baby Hitler.

CATEGORIES
Disney Plus Streaming Services
Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
Deadpool and Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds is reportedly focused on developing Deadpool 4
 
 
best Tom Cruise movie moments
Deadpool and Wolverine writer thinks this Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise AI slop fight scene means "it's over" for Hollywood
 
 
Deadpool in Marvel Rivals
Deadpool finally revealed for Marvel Rivals: the first hero who can play all 3 roles, and also block ults with his ass
 
 
Deadpool running from a small plane just like Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) in North By Northwest
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 pays homage to an iconic Alfred Hitchcock movie moment
 
 
Freddy Stroma as Vigilante, meeting himself in Peacemaker season 2
Peacemaker season 2 delivered the best joke of 2025 — and solidified Vigilante as DC’s answer to Deadpool
 
 
Jason Statham in The Beekeeper trailer
Deadpool 2 director set to helm Jason Statham Stole My Bike starring Jason Statham
 
 
Latest in Marvel Movies
Robert Downey Jr. in the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement video
The Oscars will have a "Marvel reunion," and MCU fans are wondering if it means an Avengers: Doomsday trailer is coming
 
 
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Wyatt Russell as US Agent in Thunderbolts
Marvel star Lewis Pullman puts Avengers: Doomsday cameo overload fears to rest: "Every character has their moment"
 
 
Spider-Man, Hulk, and Punisher posing in the jungle alongside a carved stone head
Writer Jonathan Hickman is bringing Spider-Man 4 stars Spidey, Hulk, and Punisher together just in time for the movie
 
 
Chris Evans as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame
Marvel fans are remembering the moments they were genuinely scared for their favorite heroes
 
 
Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim in Sinners
Sinners star Delroy Lindo told director Ryan Coogler that he wants to be in Black Panther 3 "if the stars line up"
 
 
Latest in News
Invincible season 4
Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says fans will "finally get what they're asking for" with the introduction of Thragg
 
 
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
 
 
Fenris in Dragon Age 2.
Dragon Age 2 lead says "if some people are ambivalent" about the RPG's characters, "I guess I didn't really do my job"
 
 
Jeff the Land Shark as he appears in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs are careful with balancing because "you have a vocal minority screaming the loudest"
 
 
Starfield
Bethesda will have "more to share next week" on Starfield as Todd Howard waves away claims he's a "visionary"
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 writer says picking an ending is like choosing a "favorite child" - "They are a pair"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Invincible season 4
    1
    Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says fans will "finally get what they're asking for" with the introduction of Thragg
  2. 2
    "Some ideas from Donkey Kong Bananza" may inform Nintendo's next big project, producer says
  3. 3
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
  4. 4
    Dragon Age 2 lead says "if some people are ambivalent" about the RPG's characters, "I guess I didn't really do my job"
  5. 5
    A Fallout 4 QA tester nuked the RPG so hard that Zenimax executives got emails about it

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...