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A Deadpool movie might actually happen, and if it does, it will be Ryan Reynolds's last shot at being an action hero. This week the Internet got a taste of test footage from 2011 for such a project. It's an all-CGI proof of concept Deadpool scene, with voice work by Ryan Reynolds. And it seems to have proved that someone in Hollywood understands what a Deadpool film would need to succeed.

That's a long list of things, by the way. It will take more than a decent budget for special effects and a cameo from Hugh Jackman. A good Deadpool movie won't be a gritty reimagining like Batman Begins. Deadpool is supposed to be campy. Skewing him darker would be a tragic mishandling of a character known for breaking the fourth wall in Bugs Bunny-esque slapstick. And making a serious man out of him would be as insulting to audiences as hiring writers and actors who have never read the comics.

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That's why Ryan Reynolds is the perfect guy for this one. The viewing public doesn't like him when he does anything other than crack wise and shrug off conflict. And Deadpool aka Wade Wilson isn't one for getting serious about his work. And that's a rare gift, seeing as just about every other comic hero worth his spandex is empathetic and brooding. Peter Parker is riddled with guilt and always lets his friends and family down. Tony Stark is so burdened with protecting loved ones that he becomes a workaholic, pushes them away, and burns himself out. Bruce Wayne is so blinded by obsession that he can't sleep until he's met his shattered femur quota for street thugs. Stan Lee has made an empire out of taking things about himself he didn't like and turning them into powers and burdens, lasting and relatable.

Audiences don't pay to watch Ryan Reynolds care about things. They envy him for giving zero fks. We all wish we could get away with slacking off like Van Wilder and smarting off like his Waiting character Monty. But to date none of his superhero debuts have played on any of that. While everyone spins their wheels trashing Ben Affleck before Batman vs. Superman hits theaters next summer, let's not forget to fling something in the direction of Martin Campbell, who directed Green Lantern. Lantern was a self-serious role. And the small glimpse of Deadpool we got from X-Men Origins: Wolverine was promising but quickly overshadowed by a litany of plot holes.

If we can learn anything from Green Lantern — or even the tragically mundane rom-com Definitely, Maybe — it's that the second we start to feel something, Ryan loses his charm. Watching him grimace and flex his eyebrows through the final fight scene in Green Lantern was almost as painful as the other 90 minutes of CGI. Empathy isn't why we liked him in the first place; we got hooked on the quips. That's why Deadpool is and will continue to be the only option for Reynolds. Because Deadpool doesn't play by the rules. He's not prickly the way Spidey is, nor is he troubled the way Batman is. He's not relatable. He just sits there and makes fun of things.

Maybe the best comparison would be the semi-satirical FX show Archer, which plays constantly with James Bond and Mission: Impossible tropes. Archer, like Deadpool, enjoys and even delights in his work. And who cares what the bad guys did so long as they're woefully inept and set our hero up for his punchlines? And that's what we want. The most memorable Reynolds characters feel like those drinking buddies of yours who float through life. You never see them try, but they never seem to struggle either. That moment when your chest puffs out just before you make a relationship or career-ending mistake and tell everyone what you really think? You're daring to be a Van Wilder.

We can get over Green Lantern. You can recover from an awful superhero role. Chris Evans parlayed an underwhelming supporting spot as the Human Torch in Fantastic Four into Captain America, and at least two more films have already been green-lit. Even Affleck is getting one, just one more shot before he's dragged into the basement of a comic shop and beaten by Frank Miller, while Christopher Nolan films it in IMAX.

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