Ryan Reynolds Breaks Down Deadpool & Wolverine's "Marvel Jesus" Line

Since the first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine dropped, Wade Wilson calling himself “Marvel Jesus” has proven to be one of the film’s most memorable lines. The film overall completely demolished the fourth wall with its approach to Marvel’s post-Endgame record, which is generally viewed as less successful than the previous decade of films. However, the scene in which Deadpool declares himself the messiah of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perhaps the most infamous line from the film.




In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, unpacked how Marvel executives felt about the line and its (joking) insinuation that the film would revitalize the MCU. The actor, who also wrote and produced Deadpool & Wolverine, explained that “‘Marvel Jesus’didn’t seem to present an issue,” adding that “if anything, the studio leaned in.” Per Reynolds, “most people understood the line in the spirit it was intended.”

Interestingly, he revealed that he “wrote the line a year or so before it was revealed in the Super Bowl spot” and “it was in one of the first complete drafts” of the script. As such, Reynolds hadn’t penned the line in response to Marvel’s rough year in 2023, with Ant-Man: Quantumania and The Marvels being generally poorly received.


Because the line “wasn’t really timed to anything,” Reynolds said, “the real surprise was how well it seemed to land and how it resonated with people in a moment of perceived strife for Marvel.” He speculated that “it felt more audacious given the timing” and “like self-awareness emanating from MCU headquarters.”


Given Marvel leadership’s reputation for being very hands on with their productions, it is interesting to hear that they were unopposed to the “Marvel Jesus” line. Though Reynolds wrote the quip before some of the less well-received MCU films released, the franchise already saw mixed responses for entries like The Eternals and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Additionally, it was already becoming clear that the overarching plot of the post-Endgame MCU was less compelling than Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones.


Deadpool from Deadpool & Wolverine with his hands in his mouth and the Avengers

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Reynolds’ joke may not have intentionally drawn on the MCU’s more recent woes, but it still seems surprising for Marvel to let that burn slide. Regardless, the line is mostly well-received by fans who are growing fatigued with the way that the MCU has developed after the franchise high that Avengers; Endgame brought. Some movies, like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, maintained that momentum, but with so many movies and series coming from the series, they were unable to completely balance the scale.


Deadpool & Wolverine may not have single-handedly saved the MCU – its reception was mixed to positive – but it did provide the box office returns that the last few films in the franchise couldn’t. Deadpool’s self-aware humor has long been a hit with fans of his films, so using that iconic characteristic to poke fun at a franchise that fans both love and are a little bored with was a good way to draw in fans. Coupling that meta humor with the nostalgic appeal of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine made the film’s marketing an easy success.


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