Why Ryan Reynolds Cut Rob McElhenney’s Cameo in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

Ryan Reynolds was “mortified” to cut Rob McElhenney‘s cameo from “Deadpool & Wolverine” given that his friend and Wrexham football club co-owner flew all the way to London to make it happen. McElhenney filmed scenes for the Marvel blockbuster as a Time Variance Authority soldier but they didn’t make it into the movie. Reynolds wants the scenes to “hopefully live on in the digital extras.”

“While editing a movie, they say 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,” Reynolds wrote on Instagram accompanied by photos of McElhenney in character on set.

“The sequence wasn’t working the way we’d originally constructed it,” Reynolds explained. “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 if it weren’t for Rob McElhenney.”

“Anyway, I loved making this movie but it wasn’t without stress,” Reynolds continued. “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.”

While McElhenney did not make it into “Deadpool & Wolverine,” plenty of other surprise cameos did such as Channing Tatum as Gambit, Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. These surprise cameos have helped power “Deadpool & Wolverine” to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history with $1.15 billion and counting.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now playing in theaters nationwide.