“Deadpool and Wolverine” entered principal photography at quite an inconvenient time for the entertainment industry. In May 2023, the Writers’ Guild of America went on strike to demand better pay and protections for workers against artificial intelligence. For most productions, a writers’ strike can have detrimental effects, as evidenced by many of the worst movies and shows that were products of the 2007-2008 strikes.
For a film like “Deadpool and Wolverine,” it’s even more of a concern. In accordance with strike rules, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were not able to be on set for “Deadpool and Wolverine,” meaning they could not be around for needed revisions or joke pitches. While this wouldn’t normally affect most actors, it also had an impact on Ryan Reynolds’ performance, since the actor is a credited writer on the film, meaning he was not allowed to improvise while on set.
Although Reynolds could always dub in improvisations during post-production, it was likely an adjustment during the early weeks of filming “Deadpool and Wolverine.” However, the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, ended up striking that summer as well, halting production on the film as a whole until both strikes ended. Thankfully, Levy claims the film was halfway through production by the time the actors went on strike, and they were even able to start editing portions of it in advance while waiting for the studios to agree to pay the writers and actors fairly.
