When it comes to movies, many will argue that one of the key ingredients – if not the key ingredient – to producing a hit is having a main character who is well rounded, entertaining and utterly watchable on screen. Such a belief might be considered an oversimplification of exactly what a hit movie needs, but really, what would Star Wars be without Luke Skywalker, The Shining without Jack Torrance or Raiders of the Lost Ark without Indiana Jones?
No doubt about it – a strong lead character makes us all want to see more. As the year comes to a close and a new one is set to begin, strong lead characters seem to be the norm at multiplexes everywhere these days. Within the next month and a half, a new addition will be thrown into this fray with the arrival of 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool.
At this point, anyone who isn’t aware of Deadpool and his upcoming solo movie either isn’t a fan or really hasn’t been paying attention. Fox and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool/Wade Wilson) have done a superb job of getting people hyped for the movie’s February release. From teaser trailers and home videos of Deadpool, to the 12 Days of Deadpool campaign that culminated with the recent red band trailer, Deadpool is a character with crass, yet infectious charm. Today thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Empire Magazine, we have yet another display of said charm.
The “infomercial”, running just under a minute and a half, sees Deadpool shilling for Empire in a way that only the Merc with a Mouth can. The magazine’s upcoming 2016 preview issue not only features Deadpool on the cover and within its pages, but it was also guest edited by the man himself, ensuring that it’s filled to the hilt with all things Deadpool: A limited edition eye infection? Do it yourself recipes? Ferret chasing leprechauns? Check. In between censored bleeps, these gems are decipherable along with much more.
Empire has also revealed the cover for Deadpool’s special issue. Check it out below:
Deadpool’s profile only seems to be heightening as the weeks pass, yet strangely enough this ongoing promotional campaign doesn’t reek of oversaturation. Producer Simon Kinberg had previously mentioned how well suited to this role that Ryan Reynolds is. That’s something that none of us will know for certain until the film is actually released, but for the time being it genuinely appears that Reynolds is having fun with this character and really rounding him out as a person. That attribute alone can be infectious from an audience perspective.
Of course none of this necessarily means we’re guaranteed that the movie will be a hit, but if Reynolds can make Deadpool watchable in a clip about a magazine that lasts less than two minutes, chances are good he’ll make his standalone movie worth the admission price.
Empire’s 2016 Preview Issue, guest-edited by Deadpool, will be available December 31st.
Deadpool opens in theaters on February 12, 2016, followed by X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27, 2016; Gambit sometime in 2017; Wolverine 3 on March 3, 2017; and some as-yet unspecified X-Men film on July 13, 2018. The New Mutants is also in development.
Source: Ryan Reynolds
