After Rob McElhenney joked about how his Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds removed his cameo in the Marvel Studios hit "Deadpool and Wolverine," Reynolds took to Instagram to explain how it happened and paid tribute to McElhenney.
The "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star flew to London to shoot a small part in Reynolds' superhero film, a trip that was documented on the Emmy-winning FX show "Welcome to Wrexham." McElhenney portrayed an agent for the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Reynolds' Deadpool character is at odds with.
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Reynolds wrote about his "darling" friend McElhenney in his Instagram post, saying that he was "mortified" that McElhenney flew all the way to London to film the cameo that ultimately did not make the final cut after "kill(ing) a darling."
"The sequence (that McElhenney appeared in) wasn’t working the way we’d originally constructed it," Reynolds wrote. "Rob was the only reason it stayed in the cut for as long as it did, because even under a TVA mask and helmet, you can feel him smoldering with a raw and almost infinite reservoir of talent, writerly wit and 'I create hit tv shows' swagger."
In the opening fight sequence of the film, Deadpool "prunes" a TVA agent, sending him to the desolate "Void" purgatory where much of the film's action takes place. McElhenney would have taken the role of that agent before he was consumed by an entity called Aloith, which was featured in the film and the Disney+ show "Loki."
Despite the sequence being cut, Reynolds expressed hope that it would be included in digital extras when the movie is out for home release. McElhenney himself said that he hopes to show the sequence in "Welcome to Wrexham."
In what felt like part of an extended apology for cutting McElhenney from the highest-grossing rated-R film of all time, Reynolds poured out praise for his friend.
"... even though I’m mortified he flew all the way to London for a cameo that wasn’t meant to be, I’m grateful my friend was there with me on that set," Reynolds wrote. "When I see Rob, my heart-rate slows and my nervous system stops yelling at me. He shows up for people. And he showed up for me."
Reynolds even tagged Marvel Studios in the post and said that McElhenney would be a great fit for the role of Hydra Bob, a comedic sidekick of Deadpool in the comic books. The "It's Always Sunny" star doesn't have to give up yet on reaching Marvel movie fame.