Ryan Reynolds, one of Hollywood's longest-standing icons, has returned to the screens as a master of Tik-Tok. A jack of many trades and temptations, he has been anointed the official "Man Crush" of America by a most unsuspecting demographic: men. Considering all this insurgent hype surrounding him from all fronts, people are running through lists of reasons why he deserves such a title.
Alongside his long-lasting "Relationship Goals" romance with one of Hollywood's biggest sweethearts, Blake Lively, Reynolds has also starred in some major league motion pictures. With legendary roles like Deadpool under his belt, it's no question why this iconic film figure has gained recognition as such an emblem of trademark magnetism and token masculinity. From horror to humor, here's a list of thirteen movies showcasing this idolized superstar's rise to superstardom.
Updated April 4th, 2023: If you're a fan of the hilarious and charming actor, then you'll be happy to know this article has been updated with additional content and films.
12 Adventureland
A classic rom-com, Adventureland is one of those costume dramas that brings everything to the table. With Greg Mottola, notorious for directing Seth Rogen's epic franchise Superbad, holding the reins behind this adaption, it comes as no surprise that this film shares the same light-hearted, coming-of-age, yet knee-slappingly hilarious feel. Based on the journey of a young student named James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), who takes on a summer job at an amusement park, the movie combines a perfect amount of relatable themes with downright incredible moments and outstanding pops of color.
Ryan Reynolds plays a central supporting role as Mike Connell, the pleasure ground's maintenance guy with a secret, burning passion for music. Not only is Mike's character pure comedy to watch, but he's strangely rather lovable too, showcasing one example of how Mottola did a great job building and developing each personality.
11 The Hitman's Bodyguard
Sharing the screen as the reluctant protector to Samuel L. Jackson's criminal assassin, the action comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard is an epic extravaganza that stars Reynolds as skilled private bodyguard Michael Bryce, who is forced to work with his arch nemesis Darius Kincaid in order to get the killer to testify in court. The unlikely pair find the task to be more difficult than imagined as they become the targets of many dangerous and formidable foes who will stop at nothing to permanently keep Kincaid quiet.
Jackson is downright uproarious as the foul-mouthed assassin who constantly gets under Bryce's skin, and the men's rapid-fire ribbing and Reynold's trademark snark make the actors the duo fans never knew they needed. Audiences couldn't get enough of Jackson and Reynolds together, and Salma Hayek's role as the hitman's fiery wife helped make the film a slam dunk at the box office; a sequel, Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, was later released with the main trio returning.
10 Safe House
Reynolds took his range to new heights in Daniel Espinosa's action thriller, Safe House. He stars as a rookie CIA officer named Matt Weston, tasked to work at a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. There, he is commissioned to administer active surveillance over a supposed deserter named Tobin Frost, played by the luminary superstar Denzel Washington.
While Weston is serving his duty, however, the safe house is ambushed by the same malicious villains responsible for putting Frost there in the first place, leaving them as the last two standing. Following their survival, they team up as a dynamic duo and head out on the run in a conquest to take on their attackers.
9 Woman in Gold
A historical drama, drawn from the pages of Jewish refugee Mary Altmann's real-life biography, Woman in Gold is a beautifully shot and written adaptation about the struggle of a woman wanting to serve her own justice. A touchingly true story, the narrative follows Altmann's mission to recover ancient artwork from the Austrian government of which she believed, and rightfully so, belonged to her native ancestors.
Ryan Reynolds plays her close ally and cunning attorney, Randol Shoenberg, who teams up with her to recover her family runes and recount the horrific aftermath harbored by the Holocaust. With a combination of cultural and artistic aesthetics, the movie, directed by Simon Curtis, paints a very penetrating picture of the past while also keeping viewers engaged and entertained.
8 Mississippi Grind
Another point for Reynolds in the department of comedy-drama, Mississippi Grind, written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is another feel-good film well worth a watch. Luck is seemingly at a loss for young gambler Gerry, played by Ben Mendelsohn, until he meets Reynolds's character Curtis, his four-leaf clover. An archetype character for this superstud to play, Curtis is enchanting and charismatic to a tee, thereby convincing Gerry he could use some of this charm and good fortune on his side. Upon acquaintance, the risk-takers set out on a journey to win back everything they lost to gambling in this blockbuster smasher.
7 Spirited
Reynolds partnered up with legendary funnyman Will Ferrell for the festive musical comedy Spirited, a modern-day retelling of the beloved Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol that features the former star as the seemingly unredeemable media consultant Clint Briggs, who is visited by Ebenezer Scrooge (Ferrell) and the ghosts of past, present, and future. Together, Clint and Scrooge go on a sing-song adventure and must face their own shortcomings and memories to embrace the spirit of Christmas and define their destinies.
The dynamic duo's chemistry and delightful banter is without-a-doubt the shining point of the film, and once again Reynolds is in all his sarcastic glory, but this time he's not afraid to break into a song-and-dance alongside the always hilarious Ferrell.
6 Definitely, Maybe
Universal Pictures
A household staple for romantic comedies, Definitely, Maybe, written and directed by Adam Brookes, is a tender tale about a fundamental role Reynolds is rather familiar with: fatherhood. Amid a divorce, his character, protagonist Will Hayes, is faced with telling his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) the truth about her mother.
Using metaphors to mask the promiscuity of his past love life, this upstate New Yorker from Wisconsin takes his audience back in time to animate an age-appropriate spin on his romances with three potential candidates. Without giving too much and referencing them under code names, Will then leaves it up to the listener to guess which one ended up being his wife and the mother to his progeny in this How I Met Your Mother movie motif.
5 Detective Pikachu
Based on the enduring, fan-favorite Japanese media franchise Pokémon, the fantasy comedy Detective Pikachu stars Reynolds as the titular electricity-wielding yellow creature who teams up with an aspiring Pokémon trainer (Justice Smith) to locate the young man's missing father, who also happened to be his longtime partner. Reynolds showcased his voice-over talent for the cherished role, and also provided motion-capture and facial animation for Pikachu, nabbing the role over fellow stars like Danny DeVito and Dwayne Johnson.
He revealed in an interview that before going with his own voice for the character, he initially wanted to embrace a more film noir approach and have Pikachu sound like a cross between Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Blade Runner; Reynolds ultimately went with his own distinct and charismatic voice for the nostalgic Pokémon.
4 Free Guy
Riding along the same lines of Steven Spielberg's megahit Ready Player One, Free Guy, created by director Shawn Levy, is set in a futuristic simulation. The plot follows a bank teller named Guy, personified by Reynolds. Although his name may be deceiving, Guy is not just an average guy; he's a virtual-reality suit in an immersive 3D video game called Free City. Soon after discovering himself as merely a supporting sequence in an open-world video game, he realizes just how much control he has over his own destiny and uses it to claim a new cyber identity, consecutively graduating from background player to center-stage hero in a matter of scenes.
3 Deadpool 2
With the success rate of the first edition beaming so brightly, Deadpool 2 was bound for greatness from the start. While the sequel may not have driven the same ingenuity as the original oracle, Reynold's return as this sidesplitting superhero was equally entertaining to watch. And with box-office sales landing off the charts, it's no secret that this film has become a bestselling fan favorite.
Picking up right where the last one left off, the saga revolves around Deadpool in his endeavors to fight evil. Along with a brand-new villain to focus on, he also forms a fresh A-team of X-Force mutant warriors with deformities carrying super-power side effects just like his.
2 Buried
Taking on a more serious yet well-versed role, Reynolds suits up to star as an prisoner of war in Iraq, Paul Conroy, in Rodrigo Cortés's award-winning mystery-thriller Buried. Paul serves as an American truck driver in Iraq before unknowingly falling into a trap that would leave him stuck inside a claustrophobe's worst nightmare: a tiny tomb buried underground.
After awaking to total darkness, utter isolation, and spiraling suffocation, Paul takes us on a rousing race against time as he tries to escape the box he's been trapped in before the quicksand runs out. Having only a cigarette lighter and a wonky landline to guide him, Paul soon realizes his only hope of survival rests with himself. It's one of the most claustrophobic films ever made, and one of the best single-person films as well.
1 Deadpool
After blowing up the lab of a mad scientist who conducted diabolic experiments on him, Wade Wilson, stamped and sealed by none other than Reynolds, is baptized in fire and rises from the ashes the rapturous mutant and anti-hero, Deadpool. Despite over 90% of his body being burned, this Special-Forces mercenary gone masked vigilante never loses his whimsical, smart-mouthed sense of humor.
Twisted comedic relief is not just an element that sets this Marvel-comic masterpiece apart; it also alludes to one of the renowned actor's most special talents and lovable tropes (sarcasm). Since the character's big-time debut back in 2016, Deadpool, alongside the prized dignitary who plays him, has become a heavyweight herald and heretic comedian of the world.
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