Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds paid out of his own pocket to keep screenwriters on set because Fox wouldn't

'Ryan Reynolds paid out of his own money, out of his own pocket'

Over the last few years, it's fair to say superhero films have grown relatively stale, most following the same formula, culminating in big explosions and terribly scripted villains.

While Deadpool didn’t mix things up too much, the self-referential humour, R-Rating, and Ryan Reynolds made the film stand out from the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Suicide Squad.

However, Fox Studios seemingly had little initial faith in Deadpool, Reynolds having to spearhead the project for over a decade.

Screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Rheese, along with director Tim Miller, soon joined the project, all pressing the studio to get on and make the film.

Even when the team got the go-ahead, Reynolds had to pay out of his own pocket to keep Wernick and Rheese on set.

"We were on set every day," the screenwriters told AMC. "Interestingly, Ryan wanted us there, we were on the project for six years. It was really a core creative team of us, Ryan, and the director Tim Miller.

"Fox interestingly wouldn't pay for us to be on set. Ryan Reynolds paid out of his own money, out of his own pocket.”

The gamble paid off: Deadpool is currently the most successful X-Men film to date, beating Days of Future Past and the recent Apocalypse at the box office.

Meanwhile, the screenwriters recently revealed who they would like to play Cable in the upcoming Deadpool 2.