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Scott Lumley: For quite some time now, Reynolds has been a tipping point in films for me. If I see him in something, I'm more inclined to watch it than not just because he's in it. He's frequently the most amusing thing in any movie he's in and was the only redeeming thing in Blade 3, so he's overdue for a breakout in my opinion. Also, he's really a massive closet nerd, (Don't even try and deny it Ryan, you knew who Deadpool, Blade and Wolverine were loooooooooooong before those movie contracts ever came into view.) which gives him bonus points in my eyes.

I blame Hollywood for not finding him the right vehicle sooner. Deadpool may suck when they make it, but it won't be because of Reynolds.

Jason Lee: I agree with Reagen that Reynolds has been on the brink for a while -- he's that guy who you always recognize, though he is rarely the main reason why you plunk down $13.50 at a movie theater. This weekend's opening plus his recent Entertainment Weekly magazine cover (wooza!) certainly makes a good case for moving him up the Hollywood feeding chain.

David Mumpower: I think Scott's point is well taken that Reynolds has a track record of being the best part of whatever he's in. That sort of thing tends to linger in the minds of consumers. Even if you didn't like Van Wilder, Waiting... or Just Friends, you still probably enjoyed his work in those films. It creates a level of trust that an actor has the ability to rise above the source material and be worth watching anyway, even when they're stuck in the dregs like The Amityville Horror remake or Blade: Trinity. Long time readers of the site know that I thought Definitely, Maybe was one of the best films of 2008, and a lot of that was because he was absurdly engaging as a lonely single father. He's ready to fill that void of romantic lead in comedies, his most natural career path, as well as action hero something he's done well in otherwise disappointing films like Blade: Trinity and Wolverine.

I am of the opinion that if done well, Deadpool will be the film that turns him into a superstar. It seems like the role he was born to play, because the character is acerbic and random, which happens to be Reynolds' wheelhouse. Of course, I'd feel a lot more confident about this if none of the people involved with Wolverine have anything to do with Deadpool. That was a rather epic swing and a miss at the character. If Marvel reasserts some control over the mannerisms and origins of Deadpool, however, I think it can open to Fantastic Four/The Incredible Hulk numbers. It's that type of property if done well.

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