'Green Lantern' Star Ryan Reynolds Explains Why He Thinks The Movie Failed, Why 'Deadpool' Won't

It looks like Ryan Reynolds will get a second chance at playing the Merc with a Mouth as he gears up for the 2016 standalone movie based on “Deadpool.” Fans reacted negatively to the character’s portrayal in Fox’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” but now the actor is ready to give it another shot, this time with lessons learned from another superhero flop, 2011's “Green Lantern.”

Speaking to Yahoo Movies, the 38-year-old actor was asked point blank what he learned from starring in the critically panned DC Comics movie that will help him make “Deadpool” a success.

“Well, script," Reynolds explained. "When we shot 'Green Lantern,' nobody auditioning for the role of 'Green Lantern' was given the opportunity to read the script, because the script didn’t exist,” he said, before diplomatically taking partial responsibility. “I’m not complaining about it — it was an opportunity of a lifetime, and if I were to go back and retrace my steps, I would probably do everything the exact same way. But script, that’s what’s different on this one."

Reynolds went on to explain how the real shot of confidence to make this movie, for him, came from fans reaction to the script. According to him, the Deadpool standalone story has been floating around Fox for almost three years. At one point, it got leaked and fans reacted positively to the story.

According to CinemaBlend, the script was penned by “Zombieland” writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. When it leaked online years ago, fans got the chance to digest the idea of a standalone Deadpool movie that would bounce around in time between what the fully realized comic-book character is doing in the present day and how he ended up as the indestructible mercenary that always wears a mask to cover his cancer-ridden face. People liked the idea enough to push for the movie to be made.

While fans were on board, Fox took a little more convincing to sign off on the film. It wasn’t until test footage was leaked online showing a CGI scene featuring Reynold’s voice as Deadpool that fans cries became loud enough for the studio to not only green light the project, but fast track it for a February 2016 release date.

"I would have [leaked it], if I had known it would have caused that!” Reynolds told Yahoo. “Honestly, we all thought Tim Miller, the director, had leaked it. But I have since investigated that enough, in quiet moments when he was beyond the point of being penalized by anybody, and he said that he really didn’t do it.”

Reynolds can be seen in the upcoming movies "The Voices" and "Mississippi Grind." For more Deadpool, check out the “Deadpool” test footage below. WARNING: the clip is NSFW.