Ryan Reynolds spent Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con hiding in plain sight. Fans circulated photos of the actor moving through the convention in a grey Deadpool costume, posing with attendees who reportedly had no idea they were standing next to the man who plays the character, before he revealed himself in the most public way possible during the Marvel Studios panel in Hall H.
The Suit Itself Was A Message
The muted grey and black palette, described by reporters in the room as almost denim-looking, did not go unnoticed. Deadpool wore a grey version of his suit during his run with Uncanny X-Force, the black ops mutant team that ran in the comics through the early 2010s, and plenty of attendees read the costume as a deliberate wink toward that corner of the character’s history rather than a simple color swap.
Reynolds has form here. He has spent the better part of a decade using conventions and social media to run interference on his own casting news, and turning up unannounced in an unfamiliar version of the suit is exactly the sort of misdirection that has served the character well.
Crashing The Doomsday Panel
The bit paid off inside Hall H. Ahead of the exclusive Doomsday footage, Reynolds appeared in costume for a short and deliberately jokey question and answer session with the cast, building to him asking whether there was really no additional photography left on the film. It was a not particularly subtle attempt to talk his way into a movie he is not currently part of.
The framing of the whole appearance served as confirmation that Deadpool is apparently not making his Avengers debut in Doomsday. Reynolds did hint that news on that front could arrive before long, which is roughly where the character has sat since Marvel began assembling its December ensemble. The studio kept the roster tight even while putting nearly two dozen cast members on stage, and leaving room for one more surprise fits the pattern.
Update: Reynolds Explains Why He Did It
Reynolds has since addressed the stunt himself, releasing video from the convention floor and thanking the fans he walked among. He said he felt lucky to be out there with people whose “unapologetic devotion” brings joy to the world, framing the disguise as a way to experience the convention from the inside rather than from a green room.
The video shows him taking photos with attendees who treated him as another cosplayer, which is arguably the more interesting half of the story. Deadpool is one of the most cosplayed characters at any convention, and a grey variant reads as an obscure comics deep cut rather than the actual star, which is exactly why the cover held.
Two Years On From A Record Breaker
The timing carried its own footnote. Deadpool and Wolverine opened two years ago this weekend and went on to gross more than $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the highest grossing R-rated release in history. Shawn Levy, who directed that film, was announced at the same panel as the director of Marvel’s Ghost Rider movie starring Ryan Gosling, giving the studio’s 2028 slate a familiar creative anchor.
Whether any of this amounts to an actual announcement remains to be seen. Marvel has not commented on Deadpool’s status for either Doomsday or Secret Wars. The film opens December 18 following a trailer that arrived five days ahead of schedule. Reynolds’ full statement and video are at Deadline.
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