Ryan Reynolds revealed on Instagram that he made sure “Deadpool & Wolverine” paid tribute to the late son of co-star Rob Delaney, especially since Reynolds has always regretted not doing so in “Deadpool 2.” Delaney’s son, Henry, died from a brain tumor in February 2018, just a few months before the release of the first “Deadpool” sequel. Henry was only two years old a the time.
“There’s more to Rob Delaney than some realize,” Reynolds wrote about his co-star, who plays Wade Wilson’s friend Peter in “Deadpool 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” “He’s one of the most subversively funny people I know. He’s a beautiful, acerbic and vulnerable writer. If you stayed through the credits of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ you might notice a credit saying, ‘For Henry Delaney.’ Henry was Rob’s son. And Rob lost his little boy to a brain tumor in 2018. Right as we finished ‘Deadpool 2.’”
“I’ve always kicked my own ass because I didn’t place a tribute to Henry over the end credits of [‘Deadpool 2’],” Reynolds added. “If there’s a bright side, even more people are seeing Henry’s name in the credits of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ And at long last, father and son are sharing the same screen.”
Reynolds then championed Delaney’s 2022 memoir “A Heart That Works,” calling it “an incredible piece of writing which explores the kaleidoscopic colors of emotion Henry’s passing revealed.” He added the book is “an unfiltered, rageful, loving, sad and hilarious (yes, HILARIOUS) look at grief.”
“I’m lucky to know Rob,” Reynolds concluded. “And I’m lucky to have friends willing to put themselves on the line to make others feel less alone.”
Delaney’s Peter returned in “Deadpool & Wolverine” and became even more a fan favorite as the character adopted his own superhero persona, Peter Pool. The actor told Digital Spy that returning for a second go-around as Peter “felt different.”
“I haven’t been coached on what to say here. It felt different. It felt bigger, for sure,” he said. “I mean, it still felt controlled, and you felt Ryan’s authorial voice moving through it, and it felt pure, but yeah, it felt bigger,” he noted.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now playing in theaters nationwide. Read Reynolds’ full tribute to Delaney in the Instagram post below.