Marvel actor Ryan Reynolds said he was "mortified" for ultimately making the painful decision to cut his Wrexham A.F.C.co-owner and actor Rob McElhenney's cameo from Deadpool & Wolverine.
Reynolds has been paying tribute to his costars and expressing gratitude for the dozens of actors who had cameos—some of whom were Deadpool variants—in the multiverse-themed threequel.
This time, however, he expressed being tormented by leaving one of the actors who contributed to the film on the cutting room floor.
McElhenney, who had a secret short-lived role playing a Time Variance Authority soldier, didn't make the final cut due to logic and pacing.
"A word on my 'darling' friend, @robmcelhenney," Reynolds said of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor in a sweet Instagram post on Saturday.
"Rob very kindly did a cameo in #DeadpoolAndWolverine which will hopefully live on in the digital extras."
Reynolds explained that during the editing process on a major movie like Deadpool & Wolverine, you "sometimes have to kill your darlings.”
"And with a heavy heart (and through great outside intervention) I had to kill a darling with this cameo…" he wrote.
The post was accompanied by two photos of McElhenney on set in his TVA soldier costume, in and out of his helmet.
Reynolds explained what led to the painful decision.
"The sequence wasn’t working the way we’d originally constructed it."
"Rob was the only reason it stayed in the cut for as long as it did, because even under a TVA mask and helmet, you can feel him smoldering with a raw and almost infinite reservoir of talent, writerly wit and 'I create hit tv shows' swagger."
"Don’t even get me started on Wrexham. I wouldn’t know a love like @wrexham_afc if it weren’t for Rob McElhenney."
He continued:
"Anyway, I loved making this movie but it wasn’t without stress. There was a lot of expectation — and I’m pretty sure the most well written villain in cinema history is 'Expectation.'"
"And when you do stressful stuff, it feels good when friends are nearby. And even though I’m mortified he flew all the way to London for a cameo that wasn’t meant to be, I’m grateful my friend was there with me on that set."
"When I see Rob, my heart-rate slows and my nervous system stops yelling at me. He shows up for people. And he showed up for me."
Fans also wanted Reynolds to show up for them.
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
Reynolds concluded the post by giving fans a taste of what they missed seeing in theaters, namely the fate of McElhenney's character in the movie.
"*Even as he begged for his life before Alioth snatched his unsuspecting body into the air, swallowing him whole, eventually digesting and converting him into Alioth-poo."
"RIP TVA Soldier. ❤️🙏💛"
McElhenney responded by joking:
"How am I supposed to go back to writing dick jokes today? 😭"
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
Fans commended Reynolds for always keeping it real.
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
Reynolds also tagged Marvel Studios with a nudge for considering McElhenney to revisit the MCU in the future as Deadpool's sidekick, Hydra Bob, a former member of the terrorist agency Hydra.
"p.s. Rob would make an awesome Hydra Bob. @marvelstudios," wrote Reynolds.
Now that Reynolds put it out there, McElhenney could be destined for more than a cameo.
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
But for now, we wait.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
