This post contains minor spoilers for “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
It was crystal clear from the first marketing materials for “Deadpool & Wolverine” that this movie, much like the rest of Phase 4 and 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was going to be a trip through the multiverse. What it ended up being was a big, kind of sweet goodbye to Fox’s Marvel universe. That meant bringing back lots of characters from Marvel movies of old. Juggernaut, a fan-favorite from the “X-Men” universe, does indeed appear. Yet, for the third time, it’s a different actor under the helmet, something Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool even makes a joke about at one point. The actor in question? Aaron W. Reed, someone who previously appeared in a different Reynolds blockbuster.
“Ahh S**tchya!! Get your ass to the theater and grab your popcorn. This movie is one you don’t want to miss. I’ll be viewing the movie from city to city. Starting tonight at the bell tower regal cinema Ft Myers FL. Come join, don’t be a sissy. For the poll do you want to see more of The Juggernaut?” Reed recently said on Instagram along with a character poster featuring his version of Juggernaut. Vinnie Jones, who played the mutant in “X-Men: The Last Stand,” didn’t reprise his role because they couldn’t afford him. So, Reed stepped in.
His role as Juggernaut is for sure his biggest to date, but Reed’s road to the MCU was paved through his appearance in 2021’s “Free Guy.” A former wrestler and bodybuilder, Reed has been making inroads as an actor, including roles in shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles.” But the 2021 blockbuster saw him take on the role of Dude, who was one of the villains who serves as a jacked version of Reynolds’ Guy. It’s Reed’s body with Reynolds’ face, making for a pretty unique visual.
Ryan Reynolds is loyal to his collaborators
Not only was Reynolds the lead actor in “Free Guy,” but Shawn Levy was the director, and he ended up in the director’s chair for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” They both had an established relationship with Reed and, not for nothing, he certainly had the look for Juggernaut. Being an absolute hulk of a man, he was able to bring the character to life without CGI. The Juggernaut we saw in 2018’s “Deadpool 2” was inhumanly large, which was a bit more comics-accurate.
That version of the character was, by contrast, a CGI creation. It just so happens that he was also played by Reynolds, if only because they didn’t really have any other viable options. “We settled on it because we just didn’t have any more budget left to jump in,” Reynolds once explained of the decision to have him voice Juggernaut in “Deadpool 2.”
So, when it came time to find a new actor to once again bring a new version of Juggernaut to life, Reynolds and Levy went back to someone they clearly enjoyed collaborating with before. That seems to be a bit of a theme for Reynolds in his career. He’s loyal. That’s why he helped get Levy the job directing this movie in the first place. It’s why he fought so hard to get a proper team-up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. It’s also why Reed got to play Juggernaut. In all likelihood, he’ll also get to play Dude again too, if “Free Guy 2” ever ends up happening. Whether or not that happens is another question entirely but it’s nice to see someone at Reynolds’ level pay things forward in some way.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is in theaters now.
