Ryan Reynolds: I’m done with superheroes

You might not remember it but Ryan Reynolds has played reluctant avenging superhero Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, before. The character popped up briefly in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” But that film was serious, whereas the new “Deadpool” is not. Over the years the actor, 39, has expanded his range and played dramatic in the likes of “Buried” and “Mississippi Grind.” With “Deadpool” he brings back the quipping Reynolds of “Two Girls and a Pizza Place” and “Just Friends,” cracking jokes as his comic book star lays waste to the people who transformed him from an everyguy into a deformed, indestructible freak hidden under a cool suit and mask.

This seems like a role that really brings the best out of you.
I humbly agree! It’s the role I’ve been most passionate about. I love everything about that boy! I am very grateful that I was given a chance to do this movie. I didn’t think I ever would.

You spend most of the movie with a mask over your face. It can be difficult, it seems, to act when your most expressive feature is concealed.
Yes it is. At first I was scared, because I thought, how are we going to tell the story? We had the option to take off the mask a lot more. But we found that we could push through the mask pretty well. I could express much better than I thought I could.

Have you ever wanted to become an avenger like Deadpool? Have you ever wanted to kill someone?
Wow! Kill? I never wanted to kill someone in real life, but I’ve wanted to come really close to that. I usually just say how I feel. If you’re honest, you sleep better at night compared to when you’re pretending to like someone. If someone’s mean or awful, I’ll just say, “You’re f—king mean”. I’ve no problem with that. That’s good for them and good for me. I never wanted to take someone’s life — not yet, at least.

You played Hal Jordan in “Green Lantern.” Who would win: Him or Deadpool?
I suppose that Deadpool would anger Green Lantern so much, that he would use his magic ring to commit suicide.

Would you like Deadpool to team up with Spider-Man?
I would be happy to team up with Spider-Man in a film. I would be pleased to give him a kick straight in the face. But to do so is much more complicated than it sounds, because adaptations have various rights holders. There are certain plans of merging with other characters, of course. If the film turns out to be successful, it will have a sequel. That’s how it works in Hollywood.

Will there be other Deadpool movies? And would you continue to play him?
I’ve been Deadpool for 11 years already. It’s my alter ego. That’s why I took the movie. Even my wife [Blake Lively] sometimes asks, “Who am I talking to: Ryan or Deadpool?” So I would play Deadpool for as long as I can walk. He’d probably look strange in a wheelchair. I don’t know whether there will be more films about Deadpool. If we get a chance to shoot something, I hope we keep it in the same style. We do not have the same budget as they did on “The Avengers”. Although if you compare them, “Deadpool” does not look worse. It is possible to make films with less money.

At first, the studio didn’t want to shoot the film. You made a test video, which somehow reached the Internet. After watching it, fans convinced the studio to shoot “Deadpool.” Are you the man behind the leak?
I know such rumors exist. But the truth is that I did not leak it.

What other superhero would you like to play?
I will never play another superhero again. I’m done. You have to make room for other actors.