Why Ryan Reynolds Cut Rob McElhenney’s Marvel Cameo In Deadpool & Wolverine

Sometimes killing your darlings means cutting your good pal (and football team co-owner) from a movie because the scene just doesn’t work. That’s exactly what happened to Rob McElhenney, according to a new Instagram post from “Deadpool & Wolverine” star Ryan Reynolds. In an appreciation post about the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” actor and creator, who is also his co-star in the reality series “Welcome to Wrexham,” Reynolds revealed that McElhenney filmed a scene as a masked Time Variance Authority agent. Ultimately, though, it was cut from the film late in the editing process.

“A word on my ‘darling friend,’ [Rob McElhenney],” Reynolds wrote. “Rob very kindly did a cameo in #DeadpoolAndWolverine which will hopefully live on in the digital extras.” While celebrity cameos get cut all the time (especially in superhero movies), Reynolds seems genuinely apologetic to have lost this scene, which he says “wasn’t working the way we’d originally constructed it.” At the end of the post, Reynolds reveals exactly what was meant to happen to McElhenney’s character: he “begged for his life before Alioth snatched his unsuspecting body into the air, swallowing him whole, eventually digesting and converting him into Alioth-poo.” Given how many wild things actually made it into the final “Deadpool & Wolverine” cut, we can only assume that isn’t a joke.

At any rate, Reynolds memorialized the character, who was apparently just named “TVA Soldier,” while praising McElhenney’s presence on set. “Even though I’m mortified he flew all the way to London for a cameo that wasn’t meant to be, I’m grateful my friend was there with me on that set,” he explained. “When I see Rob, my heart rate slows and my nervous system stops yelling at me. He shows up for people. And he showed up for me.” 

The scene in question apparently remained in the film for quite a while during post-production, thanks solely to McElhenney’s presence. “Even under a TVA mask and helmet, you can feel him smoldering with a raw and almost infinite reservoir of talent, writerly wit and ‘I create hit tv shows’ swagger,” Reynolds wrote.

While Reynolds didn’t direct “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Shawn Levy of “Stranger Things” and “Free Guy” fame did), he co-wrote and produced the movie as well as starring in it. He no doubt had a lot of creative control behind the scenes, but he invokes the famous “kill your darlings” advice given to editors when talking about cutting the cameo, noting that the choice was made “with a heavy heart (and through great outside intervention).” Anyone hoping for behind-the-scenes drama here will be disappointed: it’s clear that the sequence just didn’t work well in the final product, and a movie as jam-packed as this one had to shave down excess anywhere it could.

As if his heartfelt apology and ode to McElhenney weren’t enough, Reynolds ends his Instagram post with a surprising — but admittedly inspired — call to action. “P.S. Rob would make an awesome Hydra Bob,” Reynolds concluded, tagging Marvel Studios in his comment. Hydra Bob, a.k.a. Bob Dobalina, is a Deadpool sidekick who first showed up in the 2007 run of “Cable & Deadpool” by Fabian Nicieza. Bob is a former Hydra agent who defects and becomes Deadpool’s “pet” (sometimes literally: at one point he turned into a parrot). He’s a fairly incompetent but comedic sidekick who hasn’t yet appeared in the on-screen “Deadpool” universe, making Reynolds’ comment both a suggested casting idea and a hint that it’s not unreasonable for fans to hope for another “Deadpool” sequel. 

Hopefully, Reynolds’ Hydra Bob dreams will come true — and McElhenney won’t get cut from that edit the second time around.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now in theaters.