San Diego Comic-Con is one of the few places on the planet where, if you see a superhero walking around with a mask, it might actually be the superhero. For years, famous actors have put on costumes or masks as a way to have total anonymity at Comic-Con. There are so many people cosplaying on the convention center floor that surely that Spider-Man couldn’t be the Spider-Man, right?
This year, one of the biggest actors in the world, Ryan Reynolds, did just that, and the whole ruse played out to perfection.
For most people, the reveal started at the Marvel Studios Hall H panel. There, Robert Downey Jr. pointed out a man with swords in the crowd who happened to be dressed as a denim Deadpool. And, once he began talking, it was clear it was actually Reynolds. It was a fun back-and-forth that seemed to hint Deadpool will be in Avengers: Doomsday, but the reveal also did something else. It let fans walking the floor earlier in the day realize that the seemingly random person dressed as Deadpool they took a photo with a few hours earlier? That was actually Ryan Reynolds. The star posted a video of the experience. Check it out.
The fans got Deadpool off the ground so many years ago. Yesterday, 10 years after the first film and exactly 2 years after Deadpool & Wolverine, I felt so lucky to be on the #SDCC floor with everyone whose unapologetic devotion brings so much joy to this world. pic.twitter.com/IM7DSIjNfs
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 26, 2026
“No handlers, no security, no ropes. WHAT A GIFT,” Reynolds added. “Thanks to everyone I met, who aren’t only cosplaying but world-building. And also… actual Sergeant Slaughter!”
Now, it certainly seems like Reynolds didn’t speak when he was taking these photos. Otherwise, people would have started to question it. Also, the fact he wasn’t wearing a traditional Deadpool costume, and instead an alternate “Canadian Tuxedo” version, helped protect his identity. His denim Deadpool mashup is a perfect little joke that you can totally imagine a Deadpool fan would work on for months before bringing it out at Comic-Con. Which is what happened here. Only, that fan was the actor who plays him in the movies.
We’ll next see Deadpool, if not in Avengers: Doomsday, then in Avengers: Secret Wars. Plus, Reynolds recently confirmed a new Deadpool film is in the works. A fact he not-so-subtly revealed just days before Comic-Con, hinting that he was going to appear.
Did you get your photo with Ryan Reynolds? What did you think of the stunt? Let us know below.
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