[Spoiler] reveals how that out-of-nowhere ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ came about
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” dealing as it does with the Marvel Cinematic Universe multiverse, features a parade of cameos from superheroes who became part of the MCU when Disney bought Fox. The most surprising of them is Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, from the “Fantastic Four.”
Evans is best known for playing Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, in the MCU. But before he picked up the shield, he played fiery superhero Storm in two “Fantastic Four” movies in 2005 and 2007. And now, he has reprised the character in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” having an encounter with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) as they navigate the Void, a world of misfit toys first established in “Loki.”
Entertainment Weekly talked to Evans about how the cameo came about. It started with a text from Ryan Reynolds, as many things in Hollywood do.
“Ryan’s a buddy,” Evans said. “He just shot me a text saying, ‘Listen, might be a long shot, but would you have any interest in reprising something from 20 years ago?’ I said, ‘Oh my God! Of course.'”
“Honestly, Ryan might be the only guy that I would’ve done it for because he’s just got the Midas touch,” Evans added. “His self-awareness makes him almost invincible. He makes the joke before the audience gets a chance to make the joke, so if you’re going to revisit a character and you have to find a way to make it work, Ryan’s humor makes just about everything work, so you feel an automatic sense of safety.”
Evans reflected on his experience making “Fantastic Four” 20 years ago, which he recalls fondly. “Those were a big chapter of my life. I was 23 when I did the first one, and it was my first bigger studio film,” Evans said. “I had done a couple movies at that point, but nothing at that level. These careers are little milestones, little corners that you round. Doing that movie, you turn a corner and it just feels like it brought me to the next level of my career. I loved working with the people that were on that film. I loved the role. It was nothing but love and affection for that time.”
Evans starred alongside Ioan Gruffud as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm. Plans for a third movie and a Silver Surfer spin-off were scuttled after the second “Fantastic Four” movie underperformed at the box office. Fox rebooted “Fantastic Four” in 2015 with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, but the film failed to start a franchise. Now Marvel Studios is taking a crack at it, with Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, plus Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. That film is slated for a summer 2025 release and began production this week.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is in theaters now.
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