The hype for Deadpool 2 is off the charts. The original Deadpool was one of the most unexpected success stories in Hollywood, proving a hard R-rated superhero movie could rake in just as much money as more kid-friendly superhero fare.
Audiences finally figured out what comic fans have known all along: that Wade Wilson is an extremely entertaining and endearing comic book character, who breaks through the fourth wall as often as he breaks his enemies bones, stealing our hearts in the process.
He’s certainly one of the most formidable adversaries in the Marvel Universe, as funny as he is dangerous. And he’s also quite mysterious, always leaving us wanting more.
Have you ever wondered just what powers Deadpool’s body possesses? That goes beyond his ability to dodge bullets, use his magic satchel, and his skills with a sword and a gun? Or what the full extent of his regenerative abilities are? Why he’s so mentally disturbed? Or how Ryan Reynolds pulled off the character’s on-screen antics?
Well if so, you’ve come to the right place, as we have all the answers you need.
Here are 15 Crazy Things You Didn’t Know About Deadpool And His Body.
15. His Healing Factor is Based on Actual Science
While the notion of a hero that can regrow limbs and survive any injury may seem far-fetched, Deadpool’s superpowers has roots in real science.
Wade Wilson’s regenerative powers actually exists in certain animal species– for instance, the axolotl, a Mexican salamander, can regrow tails, legs, spinal cord, eyes, hearts or brain tissue if needed.
Deer can regrow their antlers if they’re broken off.
Because Science’s Kyle Hill explains adds that “[Deadpool] has incredible control of his oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes,” which act “like the gas and brake pedals of cell division. Oncogenes can speed it up…and tumor suppressor genes can slow it down…If Deadpool had complete control over these genes, he could put the pedal down when he needed to heal, and hit the brakes before he got a tumor…It’s about as good of a scientific explanation as you’re going to get.”
14. Ryan Reynold’s Intense Deadpool Workout Regimen
Ryan Reynold’s isn’t superhuman like his character, but he pulled off the illusion of one thanks to his workout regimen, which had him hitting the gym 5 days a week.
The actor worked with personal trainer Don Saladino, with fitness goals that “were focused on actual strength over the superficial.” This meant doing extremely taxing exercises, which Saladino said Reynolds took to with minimal fuss: “Ryan loves deadlifts, and he loves squats because he knows that’s how he’s going to make real gains.”
The trainer also added that they sometimes had to tailor the plans due to Reynold’s hectic schedule since “Ryan was a recent father and traveling a lot, so if he had been up all night with the baby, or just gotten off a plane from Singapore, you can best believe we were changing up the program.”
We’d say the end results speaks for itself.
13. He’s Essentially Immortal
Like his old frenemy Wolverine, Deadpool’s impressive healing factor has given him great longevity. So much so, that there doesn’t seem to be any cut-off date for his lifespan.
Yes, he was taken out by Thanos at one point, but that didn’t last too long, did it?
While we don’t know when, or if, Deadpool will ever officially kick the bucket, we do know that he’ll make it to at least 800 years old, thanks to his appearance in X-Force/Cable: Messiah War, where we see a future Deadpool who became, in his own words, the “Emperor of North America.”
For better or for worse, the Marvel Universe is stuck with Wade Wilson for what appears like eternity - for which we’re all eternally grateful.
12. His Mask Was Digitally Enhanced
While Ryan Reynolds’ fit physique ably filled out Deadpool’s costume, there was one part of his anatomy that needed some digital help: his face. To allow for the expressive eye movements that gave his character’s mask such personality, some CGI trickery was used.
According to Popular Mechanics, visual effects designer Jonathon Rothbart used “the visual equivalent of dubbing. Each scene in which Deadpool talks was filmed twice, once with Reynolds wearing the mask and once without. Then, frame by frame, WETA Digital copied his facial movements onto the mask, in some places ’enhancing it even more to hit specific Deadpool looks,’ says Rothbart.”
This helped humanize a mask whose restrictiveness would have otherwise minimized the actor’s performance, allowing for his humorous and heartfelt portrayal to be fully realized.
11. But His Deadpool Makeup Was All Practical
To get Ryan Reynolds’ unmasked face into “avocado” mode, a different approach was needed. Instead of CGI, extensive prosthetic makeup was used to make him look a far cry from the actor’s naturally photogenic exterior.
How extensive was that process, you may ask? Between a grueling 3 to 7 hours of application depending on the sequence. His scarred, gruesome complexion proved so convincing that it resonated beyond the film set, and totally freaked out his 13-month-old baby daughter with his wife Blake Lively.
“My daughter would cry when she saw me in the scar makeup… It was hard,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight, adding “She would hear my voice, but she’d see this guy that looks like… deep-fried… that sounds like her father. That’s tough for a kid.”
10. He Had An Evil Twin Made Out Of His Severed Limbs
Sure Deadpool isn’t exactly a “good guy.” He’s too twisted and psychotic to be called a superhero or to make the ranks of the X-Men, falling firmly into the anti-hero category.
Did you know there was once an “evil Deadpool”?
He was (if you can believe it), even crazier than the real Deadpool, comprised from Wilson’s discarded anatomy.
Anyone who has seen the film or read the comics will know Deadpool has lost plenty of limbs over the years, and twisted psychiatrist Ella Whitby infatuation with Wilson led her to collect all said limbs and place them in a freezer.
Once she had enough to make a full body, she created a Frankenstein-monster version of her beloved, which congealed together thanks to Deadpool’s healing factor.
9. He Made A Baby With Spider-Man
Spider-Man and Deadpool has always had a complicated relationship: sometimes friend, sometimes foe, sometimes flirting. Their ever-changing relationship is one of the more fascinating dynamics in the Marvel Universe.
Their unholy union even resulted in an offspring after a villain combined the duo’s DNA in a twisted act of revenge.
The result was their disturbed daughter Itsy Bitsy, who had an arachnid’s physique with Deadpool’s twisted sense of humor, and called her father’s by the names"Spider-Daddy" and “Dead-Daddy.”
That’s about as affectionate as things got, however, with Itsy Bitsy viewing her parents as the enemy, which resulted in Deadpool taking out his daughter to end her evil streak.
But daughter, like father, proved too crazy and strong to perish. She came back to life, albeit as a much smaller spider.
8. He’s Not Really A Mutant
While the Deadpool movie finally gave hardcore fans the first legitimate cinematic interpretation of the Merc with a Mouth, it still took some liberties with the character. 21st Century Fox wanted to tie Deadpool into the X-Men franchise (albeit with an R-rated film), and so labeled him a mutant, with his inherit power being regeneration.
While that makes for a convenient and streamlined exposition, it’s not correct, at least in the comics, where Wilson receives his regenerative abilities through scientific means. He was an experiment in Department K (a revival of the Weapon X program), where he was given a serum derived from Wolverine’s DNA.
This makes him technically a mutate, and not a mutant, a clarification that makes him no less special in the eyes of his fans.
7. His Healing Factor Makes Him Mentally Unstable
Who wouldn’t want the ability to heal from any injury and be able to pretty much live forever, right? Not so fast. Deadpool is a character that makes us question whether that power is a blessing or a curse. Sure, he can survive anything, but he’s also horribly disfigured.
His powers haven’t only harmed his appearance, but also affects his mental health.
While Wade Wilson’s powerful healing factor abilities keep his body from harm, the experimental procedure that implanted it affected his memories (just like his old pal Wolverine), which has seriously messed up his sense of reality.
That’s not all. The constant regeneration of brain tissue that he needs to heal from injuries also causes mental instability. It affects his neurons, resulting in psychosis and violent outbursts. He’s learned to use this problem to his advantage, however, as it makes him an unpredictable opponent.
6. He Merged Bodies With MadCap
While we’ve already covered Deadpool’s evil twin version of himself, it’s also worth mentioning he has another evil counterpart who shares many similarities.
That would be Madcap, a deranged villain who also shares Wilson’s power of regeneration. He also has the power to turn people insane, but this proved pointless after he crossed paths with Deadpool. Which lead to a scuffle, naturally.
Perhaps they just disliked each other because they were too much alike, but they soon became inseparable: literally. After Thor and Daredevil help intervene in a brawl between the two, Thor blasted them both to ashes with a mighty bolt of lightning.
Thanks to their healing factors both characters reconstituted - into each other.
They fused together, with Madcap becoming another voice in Wilson’s head. Eventually they were returned to their separate selves, but Madcap was driven even further mad from the joint experience.
5. He’s Resistant to Toxins
While Deadpool’s wacky demeanor might lead one to conclude he’s chronically chemically impaired, that’s not the case.
The truth is his healing factor seriously limits the effects of any substance.
In order to even feel the slightest hint of a buzz, Wilson would have to down copious amounts of booze, and even that wouldn’t last long. While this might hinder his ability to cut loose and decompress with friends at his favorite watering hole, this side-effect does some with perks. It also makes him immune to other illicit substances as well as the effects from harmful toxins or poisons.
This ability to avoid overdoses or hangover gives him yet one more impressive life-saving genetic advantage to add to his impressive arsenal of regenerative abilities.
4. They Took His Mouth Away In X-Men: Origins: Wolverine
The main reason Deadpool has so many fans isn’t because of his powers, or costume–it’s his personality, expressed through his infamous one-liners,earning him the nickname the Merc with a Mouth.
This is why so many comic fans hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Admittedly it’s a mediocre-to-poor movie by many standards, but it’s the film’s version of Wade Wilson (also played by Reynolds) that makes it a real bummer to watch.
While the film began with Wilson doing his usual quips, it made the fatal mistake of sewing his mouth shut in the grand finale, reducing him to a humorless zombie-like creature assigned with killing Wolverine.
It was a hot mess, to say the least.
Reynolds was furious at how the character was portrayed in the film, telling GQ “I still get angry, because I remember saying, ‘You know, there are more Deadpool fans out there than you realize, and they’re not gonna be happy with this.’”
3. He Grew A New Heart
While he may be twisted, psychotic and unstable, prone to horrifically violent acts, you can’t exactly called Wade Wilson heartless. Well… except for one time.
Before he took on the Deadpool suit and moniker, he was just plain old Wade, subject to ruthless experiments at the hand of the evil Ajax, who tested Wilson’s healing factor by ripping out his heart. Literally. Well, “testing,” is a nice way of putting it. He was actually just trying to destroy him.
Wilson, still grieving over Ajax ending his friend Worm, proved too powerful to be taken out, even without that vital organ, and his healing factor grew him a new heart in its absence.
It proved a rebirth, resulting in the Deadpool that we all know and love.
2. Loki Made Him Look Like Tom Cruise
In the pages of Deadpool #37, Loki transformed Wade Wilson’s face into the likeness of the star of the Mission Impossible franchise, Top Gun and Jerry Maguire.
You’d think someone who has an ugly mug like Deadpool would be ecstatic by the upgrade in his appearance, but Wilson wasn’t having it. He just didn’t feel like his crazy, maladjusted self with Tom Cruise’s visage (or Thom Cruz, used for legal purposes). He tried to get rid of it by placing his face in the deep fryer, getting run over by a train, and even having a tiger maul it, all to no avail.
Eventually the curse was lifted and he goes back to the crusty, scarred Wade that we all know and love - which made him so excited he could have jumped up and down on a couch in front of Oprah.
1. He Can Survive Without A Head
It’s true. Thanks to his impressive healing factor not even the act of being decapitated can take Wade Wilson out - or even slow him down for very long. He’s had it chopped off on many occasions. And he can even talk while he’s sans torso and limbs as well.
This has led to some truly comical and surreal moments, such as the time X-Men member Nightcrawler transported Wilson’s head away from his body, leaving it wander about aimlessly until it was reunited with his neck.
In all cases of Deadpool literally losing his head, it’s only a matter of time before it eventually gets reattached.
That’s an important distinction, because unlike his limbs, (with few exceptions) he can’t grow another head. It just needs to be smashed into his neck and given time to reconnect with his body.
What other Deadpool body factoids which you add to the list? Let us know in the comments.
- Deadpool 2 Release Date: 2018-05-18
