Ryan Reynolds had an R-rated Star Wars story he pitched to Disney that might've gotten emotional
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If Disney were in a daring mood, we might've heard a different F-word other than "Force" filling the Star Wars universe if Ryan Reynolds had gotten his way. The Deadpool star recently revealed on The Box Office Podcast (via Slash Film) with Scott Mendelson that he'd approached the studio with an idea for a Star Wars movie that wouldn't have been family-friendly. While no specific details were shared, he did explain that it would've been an R-rated movie, which ultimately got turned down. For Reynolds, it comes as no surprise, but it does still confuse the star as to why, even now, some studios are still scared to take a break from playing it safe.
"I pitched to Disney, I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn't have to be overt, A+ characters, there's a wide range of characters you could use,'" Reynolds recalled. If there's anyone who knows what makes an R-rated movie a hit, it's Reynolds, whose Deadpool franchise has now ventured into the billions with the last instalment, Deadpool & Wolverine, being the fifth biggest MCU movie ever and the most successful R-rated movie of all time. "And I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar, R-rated as a Trojan Horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that."
While big screen efforts within the Star Wars universe have kept things pretty safe (ignoring the lightsaber decapitations and tortured characters burning to a crisp, of course), one chapter within the galaxy far, far away that has indeed embarked into more mature territory lately was season 2 of Andor. Some of its characters have endured experiences that have never been highlighted in the franchise until now, suggesting that there might be space for more similar elements in the future. In the case of Reynolds' idea, though, the actor made it clear he wasn't even concerned about being in front of the camera to tell whatever story he had in mind.
"I'm not saying I'd want to be in it. That would be a bad fit. I'd want to produce and write or be a part behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP exist very well on scarcity and surprise. We don't get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people." While Reynolds' tale might not see screens, plenty of other Star Wars stories are waiting to be told on Disney's schedule. Check out every upcoming venture into the galaxy far, far away that's set to arrive in film and television here.
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