'Regina's homegrown superhero': Imax temporaily renamed after Deadpool character Wade Wilson
Ryan Reynolds's character claimed Regina as his hometown in 1st Deadpool flick
Fans gathered outside the Kramer Imax Theatre in Regina on Thursday afternoon to honour a hometown superhero with a knack for one-liners, kicking butt and getting into trouble — not necessarily in that order.
The theatre has been temporarily renamed after Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool character. It will be the Wade Wilson Imax Theatre for at least two weeks while it runs Reynolds's new flick Deadpool & Wolverine, the third film in Marvel's Deadpool series.
In the initial 2016 film, the character claims to be from Regina, Saskatchewan, and then follows up with an old joke — that it's the city "that rhymes with fun."
Since then there has been an effort to build a statue of the hyper-violent, raunchy, but beloved superhero in the city. So far, petitions have been unsuccessful.
Science Centre CEO Sandy Baumgartner, who called Deadpool "Regina's homegrown superhero" in a recent news release, said Thursday that she is thrilled the theatre could pay homage to the Marvel character.
"It couldn't be possible without you, quite frankly," Baumgartner said to the crowd, which included many in Deadpool garb and cosplay.
"Our team is amazing and they went back and forth with Imax and Marvel and Disney to get approval to do this event. And they said yes, because of you."
Mayor Sandra Masters, a self-described massive fan of the Imax Theatre, said it's a lot of fun to have the theatre temporarily renamed.
"It is awesome when our city gets mentioned in pop culture," she said. "More of this would be good. It's only fitting we pay homage to Wade Wilson, Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds … here in Regina, Saskatchewan. He's a bit unconventional, but so are we."
Rumours had been swirling in the lead up to the renaming event that Reynolds himself might make a surprise appearance.
He didn't.
But Saskatchewan-born actor Style Dayne, who played "Jeremy the pizza guy" in the first Deadpool film, got a welcome worthy of a hero.
When asked about filming with Vancouver's Reynolds, Dayne said there was a great deal of improv on set. And the more improv, the more Reynolds figured out his character's hometown lore.
"He knew that, you know, at his heart and at Wade Wilson's core, this is where he lives. Just like Masters said earlier, it's about building strong people, people that can take down their opponents," said Dayne.
The ribbon cutting ceremony also featured a food truck serving "piping hot chimichangas," a meal commonly referenced by Deadpool.
Also at the event was a miniature statue of the character. The theatre will give away the statue to a lucky movie-goer.
The first screening of Deadpool & Wolverine at the Wade Wilson Imax Theatre is set for Thursday evening. It will run there until at least Aug. 8.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
