Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy Discuss Deadpool & Wolverine’s “Best Adapted Screenplay” Oscar Prospects, Emphasizing Story Over Jokes

The Oscar Dilemma for Superhero Films

The relationship between superhero films and the Academy Awards is notably intricate. Traditionally, these films receive nominations primarily in technical categories, such as Best Visual Effects. A standout moment came when Black Panther earned a nomination for Best Picture, marking a significant shift. Recently, the creators of Deadpool & Wolverine weighed in on the possibility of the film being a contender for an Oscar, particularly in the “Best Adapted Screenplay”category.

Insights from the Director

In an interview with IndieWire, director Shawn Levy shared his thoughts on the film’s creative process. He acknowledged a common assumption regarding the film’s improvisational nature:

“There’s this presumption, because the movie has a bouncy, naturalistic flow to it that, ‘Oh, we’re just finding it through improvisation, and we’re trying stuff out on set.’ And certainly, there’s a little bit of that, but we refuse to go into production without a script that is honestly 95 percent reflective of the movie that everyone’s seen, and it really was the outgrowth of a long, long writing process.”

Combining Comedy and Drama

Ryan Reynolds, both the writer and star of Deadpool & Wolverine, emphasized that reducing the film to merely a comedy overlooks its deeper thematic elements. He elaborated on the balance between comedy and drama:

“Many of the alt jokes are written in advance. One thing that’s against it [in the awards space] is that a lot of people consider it a comedy. That’s fair, but it has a backbone that is emotion and warmth. Comedy and drama both subsist on tension. Certainly comedy is designed to set up an expectation and then come 90 degrees to it or subvert it. Somehow, you can do that so much more when you have dramatic stakes. When these two feelings are working in concert with each other, it allows you so much more leeway.”

“And going into the movie, we felt we had a lot to prove to Marvel and Disney. It’s the first big Fox property, after Disney bought the studio, to be R-rated. We had to write a movie that was a four-quadrant R-rated movie. That’s a hard thing to do. In order to do that, I’m not a big poetry person, but Keats talks about all the stitching and unstitching you do to make it feel like a moment’s thought. And that’s what is.”

Collaborative Storytelling

Levy reiterated Reynolds’ sentiments, highlighting the extensive time and effort invested in crafting a compelling narrative. He stated, “we spent seven months trying to come up with the story, because the jokes are the least of our worries.”Reynolds further explained that the team prioritized establishing a solid dramatic foundation before layering in the comedic elements:

“It’s counterintuitive, because everyone’s expecting us to find different ways to be subversive in comedy. And that’s later, that’s easier, once we have the emotional side of it, then you do the task of building in the comedy, which is so difficult to do and to get right.”

Conclusion: A New Kind of Superhero Film

As superhero films continue to evolve, the conversation surrounding their recognition at prestigious awards ceremonies like the Oscars becomes increasingly significant. Deadpool & Wolverine aims to redefine what it means to be both entertaining and emotionally resonant, illustrating that comedic elements can coexist with profound storytelling, ultimately positioning it as a potential contender in the eyes of the Academy.

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