Christopher Vose
According to the official synopsis, Deadpool is "based upon Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero," though we've always subscribed to the thought that he's more of an anti-villain. Anti-heros are heroes with villainous qualities, while anti-villains are the opposite. The synopsis goes on to say that "Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool." With a run-on sentence like that, no wonder they call this guy the Merc with the Mouth. "Armed with his new abilities and dark, twisted sense of humour, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life."
By now you might be wondering why we're talking about a superhero film, and you'd be right to question it. Deadpool has absolutely nothing to do with sports commentary, analysis, or reviews, but hey, it's being filmed in Vancouver, it's starring Ryan Reynolds who is himself a Vancouverite, and the character is fact Canadian, so as far as we're concerned, that counts. Plus there's the fact that he routinely breaks the fourth wall. So if he wants to appear in the Vancouver Herald, he can.
Ryan Reynolds in costume and on the set of Deadpool.
Filming began on the Georgia Viaduct at 5:00 AM on Monday, and will continue until at least April 16th. It could go as long as the 18th, but the plan is to be finished with that scene by then. And by all appearances, the scene in question should be quite familiar with people. Back on July 28th, visual effects test footage from 2012 was leaked online (see below). It created such a stir that by September, Deadpool was given a release date of February 12th, 2016.
The film stars Ryan Reynolds in the titular role. Morena Baccarin will be appearing as Vanessa Carlyle, though we still don't know if she'll be demonstrate the shape-shifting powers as Copycat. Ed Skrein will appear as the film's principal antagonist, Ajax. Former Mixed Martial Artist Gina Carano has joined the cast as Angel Dust. And T.J. Miller appears as Deadpool's personal technician, Weasel. And a character named Negasonic Teenage Warhead will be portrayed by Brianna Hildebrand.
Tim Miller, who had previously created the opening sequences for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Thor: The Dark World, is set to make his directorial debut. He is joined by producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg, who have worked on a films in Fox's X-Men series.
And if you're worried that Deadpool will bear any resemblance to the guy who appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you shouldn't. Although both appearances featured Ryan Reynolds, this is a far more faithful take on the character. We've even heard reports that Deadpool will break the fourth wall to poke fun at his earlier incarnation.
After wrapping up the scene on the Georgia Viaduct, Deadpool will continue to film in Vancouver until May 28th. It's expected to add $38 million to the local economy and employ more than 1,100 people during the production.
And here's a copy of the leaked visual effects test footage from 2012.