Ryan Reynolds doesn’t regret Green Lantern. In fact, he says it might’ve been one of the best things to happen to him creatively, even if the 2011 DC film was a major box office bomb and got ripped to shreds by critics.
Speaking at the 2025 TIME100 Summit during a session titled “Business of Creativity,” Reynolds opened up about what that cinematic misfire actually gave him: perspective.
“I learned all the most amazing lessons I could ever have in the creative space from that movie,” he said, adding that watching the studio throw money at visual effects while neglecting basic story and dialogue gave him a crash course in what not to do. “I remember suggesting, ‘Why don’t we just write a scene the way people would actually talk? Like, I don’t know, maybe make it fun and cheap?’”
That experience clearly stayed with him. “Lessons of character over spectacle, I take that with me every day,” Reynolds added. “The greatest superpower I ever had in my life… was knowing who I am.”
And let’s be real, he’s clearly put that superpower to good use. From flopping in a green CGI suit to becoming the foul-mouthed face of Deadpool, Reynolds has completely flipped the narrative.
Speaking of Deadpool, he called the franchise one of the most meaningful creative experiences of his life, even if the character’s original 2009 debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was, let’s just say, not his finest hour.
That rough start didn’t stop him. Instead, he leaned into it. Reynolds said the first Deadpool movie was basically “an allegory for Disney buying Fox,” and that he pitched “18 different movies” during that transition.
He even brought up Blade legend Wesley Snipes during the talk, saying, “People like the characters we made with Wesley Snipes, who should have a third act in this moment.” It’s not clear if that was a teaser or just Reynolds being Reynolds, but you could hear the Marvel fans start typing already.
And yes, he’s writing again. “I’m writing a little something right now that is an ensemble,” he teased. No title, no details, but if it’s anything like the chaotic charm of Free Guy, The Adam Project, or Deadpool, we’re all in.
So yeah, Green Lantern might still be a punchline, but for Ryan Reynolds, it turned out to be a creative reset button, and a pretty effective one at that.
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