Josh Brolin confesses that a hit romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds is what made him want to join Deadpool 2. Fans of the first Deadpool film will find out in less than a couple weeks whether there’s enough big screen chemistry between Reynolds and Brolin to help make Deadpool 2 as big a hit as the first. That’s a tall order, considering the 2016 solo movie debut of the Merc with a Mouth made $363 million domestically, marking only the third time in history that an R-rated film crossed the $300 million mark stateside.

Brolin, of course, is no stranger to blockbuster hits himself, as his pivotal role as the Avengers’ deadly foe Thanos has helped lift Avengers: Infinity War to an astonishing take of $450.8 million in its first 10 days domestically, and combined with overseas ticket sales, more than $1.1 billion worldwide. And while he has another potential blockbuster in Deadpool 2 to add to his resume, Brolin appears to remain humble for having the opportunity, and is even going so far to reveal how his soft side inspired him to take on the coveted role of famed Marvel Comics tough guy Cable.

In a new interview with EW, Brolin says he wanted to work with Reynolds after seeing the actor and Sandra Bullock in the 2009 smash rom-com The Proposal. Brolin appears to love the film so much that it’s pretty safe to say he’s interested in a bromance with the Deadpool 2 star. He says: “I was a secret fan of The Proposal, having watched it several times by myself. I told Ryan. I was like, ‘I don’t know why this is, and I don’t know what this means psychologically, behaviorally, emotionally, but I have kind of a crush on you.’”


Of course, it seems like a prerequisite that Brolin would have to have the same sort of offbeat humor as Reynolds to become a part of Deadpool 2, so it’s hard to say whether the actor is sincere with his feelings or just toying with his big screen buddy. In his trademark wiseass style, Reynolds tells EW that he thinks its the latter. He says:

“He’s mentioned it many times, which is weird to me because he’s so tough. I would just never imagine that. Like, he pretends he’s, like, all sort of New Agey sometimes and all this stuff, but deep down inside I just think his heart is made of some, like, jagged chunk of Yosemite granite. I don’t buy that underneath all this textured skin is a sweet little angel that loves romantic comedies. I don’t buy it. Not for a second.”

No matter what Reynolds or the fans believe regarding Brolin’s “New Age-y” remarks, there’s no question his observation makes for entertaining reading, following the same off-the-wall tone Reynolds set with the first Deadpool film, which has carried on throughout the production of the second film.

The great thing is, Deadpool 2 itself – at least judging by its trailers and TV spots – seems to have found the winning combination that made the first film such a blast, whether or not Reynolds’ Proposal really led to this blessed big screen union. Fans will find out for sure whether Reynolds and Brolin are a match made in heaven when Deadpool 2 opens May 18.