Actor Ryan Reynolds said he was “mortified” to have to cut Rob McElhenney’s Deadpool & Wolverine cameo, especially after flying to London to film the scene, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
McElhenney is not only the actor’s friend but also the co-owner of the Wrexham football team, which made the decision for him more tough. The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor was originally cast as a Time Variance Authority soldier in the record-breaking Marvel film.
“A word on my “darling” friend, @robmcelhenney. Rob very kindly did a cameo in #DeadpoolAndWolverine which will hopefully live on in the digital extras,” Reynolds wrote on Instagram Friday. “While editing a movie, they say you “sometimes have to kill your darlings.” And with a heavy heart (and through great outside intervention) I had to kill a darling with this cameo.”
He said they ultimately cut the scene because the “sequence wasn’t working the way we’d originally constructed it”.
“Rob was the only reason it stayed in the cut for as long as it did, because even under a TVA mask and helmet, you can feel him smouldering with a raw and almost infinite reservoir of talent, writerly wit and ‘I create hit tv shows’ swagger,” he said. “Don’t even get me started on Wrexham. I wouldn’t know a love like @wrexham_afc if it weren’t for Rob McElhenney.”
Reynolds went on to say that “expectation” might be the most difficult element of shooting a film, but having loved ones like McElhenney to count on for support makes it simpler.
“I loved making this movie but it wasn’t without stress. There was a lot of expectation — and I’m pretty sure the most well written villain in cinema history is ‘Expectation,'” he shared in the Instagram post. “And when you do stressful stuff, it feels good when friends are nearby. And even though I’m mortified he flew all the way to London for a cameo that wasn’t meant to be, I’m grateful my friend was there with me on that set. When I see Rob, my heart-rate slows and my nervous system stops yelling at me. He shows up for people. And he showed up for me.”
“Even as he begged for his life before Alioth snatched his unsuspecting body into the air, swallowing him whole, eventually digesting and converting him into Alioth-poo,” Reynolds concluded, according to The Hollywood Reporter.