The movie “Deadpool & Wolverine”, which was released last week, may have been the first to hit theaters. But stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman kept their most important press tour stop until last.
They arrived at San Diego Comic-Con with co-star Emma Corrin and Marvel CEO Kevin Feige, to surprise the Hall H audience in a screening of the movie on the day it is released worldwide.
The special event, dubbed “The Ultimate Deadpool & Wolverine Celebration of Life,” came at the end of a particularly busy day for Reynolds, Jackman and Levy, who jetted to San Diego from Los Angeles following Feige’s Walk of Fame Ceremony, which took place earlier that day.
The panelists took the stage as if they were a regular Comic-Con, and Reynolds reminisced about his first Comic-Con trip with the original “Deadpool”.
Reynolds stated, “I was probably the most nervous person you’ve ever seen.” “It was like stepping into my dream in a sense. But I remember that I made that movie for you and how satisfying it was to know that others liked it as well.”
He added: “I felt like I could connect with you, in a way I had really been longing to connect. And I’ll always remember this moment because this asshole backstage …”, he said, nodding at Jackman who finished the story.
Jackman said, “I was just there.” “I watched footage, and this chant started: ‘One More Time, One More Time.’ I went backstage, found the stage manager and said, Play the footage again. You have to play that footage again or they will tear down Hall H. ‘”
After conjuring these happy memories, Reynolds played a clip in which co-star Leslie Uggams, playing Blind Al, said, “Can we just skip the bullshit, and show the damn film?”
The audience (a full house, 6,500 people) erupted when the announcement was made. Suddenly the souvenirs that they had received for lining outside Hall H – those highly-coveted Wolverine’s head popcorn buckets – made more sense. Ushers handed out popcorn as the lights dimmed in the auditorium, which had been transformed into a makeshift movie theatre. Reynolds, Jackman and Feige settled in folding chairs.
