Key Takeaways:
– Ryan Reynolds’s 2016 movie, Deadpool, includes a clever pop culture reference linking it to The Office and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
– The comedic strategy of breaking the fourth wall – talking directly to the camera – is used in Deadpool as well as the two referenced shows.
– The scriptwriters were inspired to use this strategy after recognizing its use in these iconic shows.
– The inclusion of this feature was a hit with the fans and a defining moment for many.
Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool: More than Meets the Eye
As any fan of Marvel’s Deadpool will tell you, the film isn’t short of hilarious one-liners, sarcastic retorts, and pop culture references. However, it’s the unexpected connection between the Ryan Reynolds’s 2016 flagship movie, Steve Carell’s The Office, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that has sparked intrigue.
Deadpool’s Unique Strategy: Breaking the Fourth Wall
One of Deadpool’s standout features is the recurrent practice of breaking the fourth wall. The lead character, Wade Wilson, routinely addresses the audience directly, a characteristic not commonly seen in other Marvel productions. Interestingly, this tendency to break the fourth wall is a shared trait between Deadpool and Steve Carell’s The Office, as well as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The Post-Credit Scene in Deadpool
In one particularly memorable sequence at the end of Deadpool, this pop culture reference was brought to life. Deadpool features a post-credit scene in which Wade Wilson echoes an iconic scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Office. In all cases, the protagonist speaks directly to the audience, pointing out that the film or episode has ended.
Behind the Scenes: The Inspiration for the Iconic Scene
In a dialogue with CinemaBlend, Deadpool screenwriters/producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick unveiled the inspiration behind this surprising element of their screenplay. Recognizing the shared characteristic of breaking the fourth wall in both Ferris Bueller and The Office sparked their brilliant idea. Reese noted, “Ferris Bueller is obviously famous for many things, one of them is breaking the fourth wall… It just kind of clicked in my head like, ‘What if Deadpool is in the robe, and he’s walking down the hallway.’ We wrote it, and everyone was like, ‘My God, this is it.’”
A Revelatory Moment for the Stakeholders
Reese and Wernick also mentioned that the inclusion of this scene served as a turning point for others involved in the film. It helped stakeholders understand how divergent pop culture elements could meld together in their inventive screenplay. One of the executives at Fox, after reading the revised script, equated Deadpool to “Ferris Bueller meets Natural Born Killers”, capturing the essence of the movie.
Fan Reaction to Deadpool’s Surprising Connection
Fans were undoubtedly captivated by this unexpected connection, despite needing a moment to place the origin of the scene. Both the execution and strategic inclusion of this shared pop culture reference paid off, making Deadpool a unique blend of different elements of popular culture.
For those yet to discover this iconic Marvel movie, Deadpool is available on Disney+. As we anticipate the 2024 release of the next Deadpool installment, the unique amalgamation of different elements in the 2016 film continues to give fans much to discuss and appreciate.
