Ryan Reynolds celebrates the sixth anniversary of dead PoolTheatrical release with retrospective photos. Technically, Reynolds made his live-action debut as Wade Wilson in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, that lopsided version of the character turned the wisecracking mercenary into the mute and dutiful “Weapon XI.” With the studio refusing to realize the full potential of the Merc With A Mouth, in 2014 Reynolds (allegedly) leaked test footage of Deadpool online, sending fan excitement into the stratosphere and putting pressure on studio execs. studio to finance the R-rated extravaganza that is Deadpool.