may be grabbing headlines lately for all the controversial reasons—drama swirling around Blake Lively
and Justin Baldoni has dragged him into the chaos—but let us be real: when it comes to superheroes, the man delivers. Whether he is slinging sarcasm in a red suit or surviving cinematic flops with swagger, Reynolds has been a loud, fearless force in the genre. So forget the gossip—rewind the reel, fuel the nostalgia, and witness the rise, fall, and full-blown redemption of Reynolds’ superhero legacy. Let the ranking begin.
Safe to say green was a disaster and red turned him into a legend. Let us break it down—every Ryan Reynolds superhero movie, ranked by ratings.
Meant to shine, but flickered out: Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern fell flat
When Green Lantern
(2011) crashed with the weight of a blazing green meteor, it was once heralded as DC’s cosmic leap. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 25%, IMDb gave it a mediocre 5.5, and Metacritic gave it a score of just 39. Reynolds was stuck in a digital costume that no one wanted, and the movie’s graphics reportedly felt like a rogue computer game despite its substantial $200 million budget.
Ryan Reynolds speaks on the failure of #GreenLantern
“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. How do we replace this big spectacle thing –… pic.twitter.com/Z8aYXhMi8D
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) March 5, 2023
Instead of serving as a spectacular debut for the Lantern Corps, it ended up serving as a warning about cinematic errors. The movie barely recovered its enormous budget, earning about $237 million worldwide. Even Reynolds roasts it, and who could blame him?
Blade: Trinity (2004): Ryan Reynolds swung hard, but the blade barely grazed
Blade: Trinity
(2004) stumbled in as the clumsy conclusion to the trilogy before the Marvel age made capes into riches. This sequel, which received a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 38% on Metacritic, abandoned its slick vampire-slaying origins in favor of frantic action, clumsy humor, and awkward dialogue.
Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity (2004) pic.twitter.com/vb6Ad8w1hx
— Olie 🎬 (@Olie_FilmVerse) November 22, 2024
As Hannibal King, Ryan Reynolds displayed his trademark snark, but the script left him reeling. Reynolds has a documented history of set turmoil, and Blade: Trinity
was an early sign. On-set conflict with Wesley Snipes only made the catastrophe worse.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009): Ryan Reynolds’ claws did what Blade and Green Lantern could not
Ryan Reynolds made his first attempt at Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(2009), but rather than launching the beloved antihero, it physically strangled him. The movie lurched through Wolverine’s background like a poor draft that no one had time to check, with a 37% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a meagre 40 on Metacritic.
Reynolds first played the role of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
The character was not well-received due to a poorly executed representation. pic.twitter.com/yFIZVx6L58
— Jeremy Kuo (@jeremykuoo) August 2, 2024
Fans worldwide were perplexed by Reynolds’ Deadpool’s swords, attitude, and… lack of a mouth. Reynolds had future material to brutally ridicule despite the film’s failure.
Ryan Reynolds comeback in red, accompanied by claws in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Despite its narrative flaws, Deadpool & Wolverine
provided the pandemonium that fans were craving. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds engaged in a joyfully violent, profane, buddy fight in this popcorn-fueled film, which has a 7.6 IMDb rating and a 78 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score.
First look at Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in ‘DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE’ pic.twitter.com/HcoQE6glCB
— Mcu Content (@MarvelsContent) February 11, 2024
Although the action is intense and the banter is witty, the plot may seem shallow and the stakes low since invincible heroes tend to make the danger seem less real. Although Reynolds came under heavy public criticism for having his seven-year-old daughter Inez Reynolds deliver offensive lines
, the movie itself brought much-needed chaos to Marvel’s otherwise flawless formula.
Ryan Reynolds delivered the heart, action, and humor in Deadpool 2 (2018)
With a 7.6 IMDb rating and an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, Deadpool 2
proved to be a strong sequel to its predecessor. Despite introducing intriguing new characters like Cable and Domino, the sequel avoided sidelining its protagonist, Wade Wilson/Deadpool. Although it is unfortunate they did not appear in Deadpool & Wolverine,
their inclusion enriched the film.
ryan reynolds on the set of deadpool 2 (2018) pic.twitter.com/JZxlJl8I3X
— x-men archive ⊗ (@xmenarchive) January 9, 2022
With a larger budget and more lavish production values than the first, the movie feels more opulent. Deadpool 2
is entertaining but did not surpass the first, lacking its original magic, despite featuring more fan-favorite elements.
Ryan Reynolds shattered expectations in Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool
(2016) changed the landscape of superhero movies with an 8/10 IMDb rating and an 85 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, demonstrating that R-rated material could be successful both critically and economically. Even though the plot is not particularly novel, it provides a fitting beginning for Wade Wilson’s metamorphosis into Deadpool
by fusing extreme violence, obscene humor, and surprising emotional depth.
It only took 8 weeks to film Deadpool 2016 pic.twitter.com/Fh8MKg5Vph
— The vocaloid horny police (@DownBadVocaFans) April 1, 2025
Despite its flaws, the movie raised the bar for the genre, and Ryan Reynolds’ performance solidified his status as the best Deadpool,
opening the door for follow-ups.
What do you think about Ryan Reynolds’ performance in superhero films? Let us know in the comments below!
