The smart-mouthed Canadian who never leaves a dull moment in his wake, Ryan Reynolds is the face of Marvel’s Merc With a Mouth for a reason. The Deadpool star’s tongue is sharper than his swords, and he often cuts deep when he uses it to deliver his signature retorts. However, years before he donned the spandex for MCU or DC, he played a superhero so atypical that not even he had the words to explain it. 

The flick in question was a poignant dramedy, which was as much a puzzle as it was a tear-jerker.

Ryan Reynolds could not find the words to explain his first superhero role

In 2009, the aforementioned movie titled Paper Man arrived in cinemas. Over a decade later, an X (previously Twitter) user, Lance Ulanoff tweeted saying he “randomly” found the flick “on Amazon Prime” and had “questions” he wanted Reynolds to answer. Luckily for him, Reynolds responded! However, all the 47-year-old had to say for himself was that he had “zero answers” for the intrigued fan. 

By default, superheroes are a figment of mankind’s imagination. But for the movie in question, Reynolds portrayed Captain Excellent, an imaginary superhero friend to a dejected author, Richard (Jeff Daniels) who summoned him when life got tough. Besides the bizarre concept of adults with imaginary friends, the movie posed many cryptic riddles and unexpected turns. This explains why Reynolds was at a loss for words when questioned about it. 

Here is a look at what Paper Man was about and why it left viewers confused. 

A star cast and a mellow script could not save Paper Man

Besides Reynolds and Daniels, Paper Man also featured big names like Friends sensation Lisa Kudrow as Richard’s wife, Emma Stone as Richard’s friend, and Succession star, Kieran Culkin as Stone’s character’s imaginary friend, Chris. Despite stellar performances from the cast, an excellent message, and some hilariously self-aware quips from Captain Excellent, the slow-paced R-rated flick failed to impress critics and make much at the box office. 

Its adult themes and hidden messages may have been ahead of their time but made it a cult classic. Unlike the many Marvel and DC saviors who are portrayed as real heroes on-screen fighting evil somewhere in the multiverse, Reynolds’ Captain Excellent was the superhero a human actually needs. By being Richard’s emotional support system, he helped him be better, making Captain more than just a one-dimensional hero. 

What do you think of Reynolds’ Paper Man enigma? Share your thoughts in the comments.