As if he had a time machine straight out of a Marvel film, Hugh Jackman foresaw the friendship between Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds years before they ever met.

Levy recalls the 91裸聊视频淴-Men91裸聊视频� actor bringing up Reynolds on the set of his 2011 sci-fi film 91裸聊视频淩eal Steel,91裸聊视频� which starred Jackman.

91裸聊视频淗e literally told me that if I ever worked with Ryan Reynolds, I91裸聊视频檇 probably never stop,91裸聊视频� the Montreal-born directorsays on a video call from New York.

91裸聊视频淗ugh had this feeling that Ryan and I matched up just right.91裸聊视频�

Levy says he went on to forge a 91裸聊视频渃reative brotherhood91裸聊视频� with Reynolds, directing the Vancouver-born actor in 202191裸聊视频檚 action-comedy 91裸聊视频淔ree Guy91裸聊视频� and 202291裸聊视频檚 sci-fi adventure 91裸聊视频淭he Adam Project.91裸聊视频�

He says Reynolds handpicked Levy to direct and co-write 91裸聊视频淒eadpool & Wolverine91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� the third movie in his hit Deadpool franchise and the first from Marvel Studios after its parent company Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. It91裸聊视频檚 out Friday.

91裸聊视频淚 hate to say it, but I do think our Canadianness is part of (our connection),91裸聊视频� says Levy, who91裸聊视频檚 helmed family comedies including 200691裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淣ight at the Museum91裸聊视频� and produced the sci-fi behemoth 91裸聊视频淪tranger Things91裸聊视频� for Netflix.

91裸聊视频淲e both feel the privilege of these jobs we get to do. We have a shared humility and civility and there91裸聊视频檚 tremendous respect for each other. We really love building movies designed for audience joy. We also are grinders. We love to work hard.91裸聊视频�

Evidently, they love to play hard too. Levy says he, Reynolds and Jackman are close friends in real life, and the press tour for 91裸聊视频淒eadpool & Wolverine91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频渉as basically been like a boy91裸聊视频檚 trip paid for by Disney.91裸聊视频�

At the film91裸聊视频檚 Canadian premiere in Toronto on Tuesday, the trio took over a downtown multiplex where they also signed autographs and met fans, many decked out in costumes for the sneak preview.

The film sees Reynolds suit up again as the merc with a mouth, this time joining forces with Jackman in his long-awaited return as iconic X-Men superhero Wolverine, who was killed off in 201791裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淟ogan.91裸聊视频�

Set a few years after 201891裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淒eadpool 2,91裸聊视频� the titular Canadian anti-superhero is down on his luck, fresh off bombing a job interview with the Avengers and being dumped by his girlfriend. But when he91裸聊视频檚 tapped by interdimensional agency the Time Variance Authority, led by Matthew Macfadyen91裸聊视频檚 smarmy Mr. Paradox, to mercy kill his own withering universe within the multiverse, he refuses and recruits an especially cranky iteration of fellow Canuck Wolverine to save the day.

When they aren91裸聊视频檛 squabbling and tearing each other to shreds, Deadpool and Wolverine are teaming up against Emma Corrin91裸聊视频檚 Cassandra Nova, ruler of the Void, a purgatory between multiverses the protagonists find themselves trapped in.

Although Reynolds had been pitching a Deadpool-Wolverine team-up for years, Jackman was initially hesitant, wanting to preserve the legacy of his adamantium-clawed character. However, Levy notes the chance to collaborate with friends ultimately swayed the Australian actor.

91裸聊视频淭he three of us have so much trust and affection and we spend a lot of time together off screen,91裸聊视频� he says.

91裸聊视频淚 know Hugh had this epiphany to come back, and I think he knew he was coming back with friends, which would mean not only a fun experience, but he trusted his buddies to protect the legacy of Logan and to protect him in this return.91裸聊视频�

Fan expectations are high for 91裸聊视频淒eadpool & Wolverine.91裸聊视频� Not only is the filmmaking crew 91裸聊视频� which includes returning screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese 91裸聊视频� responsible for bridging the worlds of the Avengers and the formerly Fox-owned X-Men for the first time, but many hope the film will recharge the MCU after it experienced rare box-office flops with last year91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Marvels.91裸聊视频�

Levy91裸聊视频檚 answer to the discourse surrounding the movie is to address it head-on via Deadpool91裸聊视频檚 many fourth wall-shattering asides. Early on, the merc quips to Wolverine: 91裸聊视频淲elcome to the MCU. You91裸聊视频檙e joining at a bit of a low point.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know that Marvel needs saving,91裸聊视频� says Levy.

91裸聊视频淥bviously, they91裸聊视频檝e had a few stumbles and misses lately, and because it91裸聊视频檚 Deadpool, we get to name that. We get to poke fun at that. And to Marvel91裸聊视频檚 credit, they let us make fun of them because they know that that91裸聊视频檚 the Deadpool spirit. But the pressure I feel about Marvel is not really as intense as what I feel towards the fans because I91裸聊视频檓 one of them. I love these characters. I have reverence for their legacy.91裸聊视频�

Levy says he feels especially attached to the film91裸聊视频檚 protagonists as both have Canadian origin stories 91裸聊视频� Deadpool hails from Regina, while Wolverine was born in northern Alberta.

91裸聊视频淲atch with your eyes peeled, because the nods to our homeland are everywhere. You91裸聊视频檒l see the allegiance to Canada spread all over this movie,91裸聊视频� he says.

But Levy says that more than anything, the film is a celebration of friendship.

91裸聊视频淥bviously, Deadpool and Wolverine are at each other91裸聊视频檚 throats for a lot of the movie, but what people don91裸聊视频檛 quite know yet is the degree to which the movie is ultimately about friendship. And it was made by friends,91裸聊视频� he says.

91裸聊视频淪o you have the warmth of this friendship off-screen that eventually finds its way into the DNA of the movie. I think the warm-heartedness of the movie might be its most unexpected aspect, but it91裸聊视频檚 the aspect that Ryan and Hugh and I are most proud of.91裸聊视频�

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press