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Edwin Davies: It's a pretty much perfect combination of film and marketing. The ad campaign for Deadpool, going back to Comic-Con last year, has been built around selling the tone of the film as a fun, irreverent and self-aware comic book movie that stands in stark contrast to the increased convolutions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the super-seriousness of DC's upcoming Batman vs. Superman. There was a gap for a superhero movie that didn't take itself too seriously, and Deadpool pursued it.

In terms of the film itself, it delivered what was promised. It translated the tone of the comics in such a way that it wouldn't alienate the fans, while also being accessible enough for non-fans to jump on board. And Ryan Reynolds, who is a weird quantity in that he's an actor most people seem to like but has almost never been involved in a film that actually made money, was a perfect fit for the character and went the extra mile when it came to pushing the film's viral marketing and embodying the character as much as possible.

David Mumpower: First of all, anybody who claims that they knew this was going to happen is lying. And I’m including the people involved with the production. Deadpool languished on the backburner for years after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That’s because nobody really understood what to do with the character, which is understandable. I’ve mentioned before that I didn’t really get Deadpool until I was playing one of those disposable Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games. During a random train station level, Deadpool inexplicably says of a supervillain, “Sure, he’s evil, but he keeps the trains running on time.” I’ve laughed at that joke for years now.

The writers of Deadpool finally found that perfect way to unlock the potential of a wisecracking character that can break the fourth wall. Better yet, they let it spill over into the advertising. Some of the jokes, especially the Valentine’s Day trailer, were beyond brilliant. In combination with the willingness of Ryan Reynolds to do absolutely anything for a laugh, they built the perfect storm of viral marketing. People who didn’t know who Deadpool was at the end of 2015, which was just six weeks ago (!), were posting videos, GIFs, and status updates about the character last week. The entire turn of events was amazing to behold.

The other thing I want to point out about the situation is that Ryan Reynolds is a handsome, charismatic guy. While he’s had a couple of hits like Safe House and The Proposal, North American audiences have largely rejected him as a lead actor. Then, he slaps on a ridiculous Thin Santa Claus costume where nobody can see his face and starts acting like a jerk. Suddenly, he’s the flavor of the month (again). The entire turn of events must be completely mystifying to him. We’re talking about a guy who can act (See: Buried and Adventureland) and who has targeted theoretically commercial projects (See: The Change-Up, Green Lantern, Blade: Trinity, Amityville Horror, R.I.P.D. and so forth). THIS is the movie that makes his career. It’s stuff like this that reinforces that William Goldman quote that nobody knows anything.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld. I know from a couple of conversations ages ago that he’s dreamt of this movie for years. My guess is that even in his wildest dreams, he never could’ve imagined that the first Deadpool movie would instantly torpedo every Wolverine film and even The Matrix reloaded on its way to shattering box office records. Congratulations on your blockbuster hit!

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