“F*** Off”- ‘Deadpool’ Star Ryan Reynolds Had Hilarious Reaction to James Gunn’s Surprising Request

In the world of superhero casting, some doors are slammed shut permanently while others fly open with a single text.

The behind-the-scenes stories of how James Gunn has been reshaping DC Studios since taking the co-chief executive role have been trickling out steadily, and few moments have captured the internet’s attention quite like the tale of two very different A-list responses to the new era of DC.

Gunn appeared on the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast to share details about the early days of his tenure, and among the anecdotes he shared was a window into the text messages he received from fellow Hollywood stars when the announcement broke. What followed was a story that perfectly illustrates why Ryan Reynolds will almost certainly never wear a green ring again.

As Gunn recalled on the podcast, Reynolds had initially reached out with a warm congratulatory message when the news of his appointment broke. Then Gunn made his move. Gunn asked Reynolds if he wanted to be Green Lantern again, to which the actor replied with a swift two-word response: “Fuck off.” The exchange has since gone viral, and it is hard to argue with the instinct. Reynolds has spent the better part of a decade putting as much distance between himself and the 2011 film as humanly possible.

The reasons Reynolds is so eager to leave Hal Jordan behind are well documented and entirely understandable. The film grossed approximately $219.8 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $200 million, making it a significant financial disappointment for Warner Bros. and DC Comics. That figure becomes even more crushing when marketing costs are factored in, with industry estimates suggesting the total investment climbed closer to $300 million.

The film received a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics pointing to its weak script, casting issues, a poorly thought-out story, and underdeveloped characters. Reynolds himself has been candid about the production’s failings. Variety quoted him reflecting on the experience, saying, “There was just too many people spending too much money and when there was a problem rather than say, ‘Okay, let’s stop spending on special effects and let’s think about character,’ the thinking was never there to do that.” The ‘Green Lantern’ experience, for all its misery, did free Reynolds up to pursue the ‘Deadpool’ franchise, a decision that reshaped his entire career.

While Reynolds was shutting down any conversation about a DC comeback in two words, Jason Momoa was taking the opposite approach entirely. When it was announced that Gunn got the job, Momoa texted him immediately with a message that read, in all caps, “Lobo, baby,” followed by a billion exclamation points. It was a bold move, but one that turned out to be prescient.

Unlike Reynolds and Gunn’s exchange, the conversation with Momoa proved to be far more serious, as Momoa was ultimately cast to play the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo and will make his DCU debut in the ‘Supergirl’ film. The former Aquaman star had long been vocal about his desire to play the character, making the casting feel less like a surprise and more like an inevitability once Gunn took the reins.

The contrast between these two text conversations captures something essential about the current state of DC. Gunn explained that Lobo helps create a throughline for the ‘Supergirl’ film, noting the character is “maybe, in some ways, the biggest comic book character that’s never been in a film.” Momoa’s enthusiasm met a creative need at exactly the right moment.

Reynolds, meanwhile, has long since moved on. His success with Deadpool and his subsequent work in the MCU means a return to a character associated with one of the most panned superhero films in memory holds no appeal. The DCU has since moved forward with its own version of the Green Lantern mythology, introducing Hal Jordan and John Stewart in the upcoming ‘Lanterns’ series, with Reynolds nowhere in sight. It is, perhaps, the most fitting ending to a chapter both he and Warner Bros. would prefer to forget.

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