Deadpool (2016)
With its killer soundtrack and sense of fun, Guardians of the Galaxy brought smiles back to a genre that had become reliant upon stoic brooding. Deadpool capitalized upon this u-turn in a big way, and it made a very big point in the process.
Many believed that the raunchy and knowing nature of the character would be better served by a production that wasn’t trying to be suitable for children. As such, all interested parties championed an R-rated solo movie, but 20th Century Fox had little enthusiasm for the project. Like their fellow studios, they were preoccupied by the lure of PG-13 rated properties to gain the big bucks. Several fan campaigns and one leaked test reel later, and Fox grudgingly acquiesced.
If they had been able to foresee the outcome, it’s doubtful that Fox would have been as reluctant to produce Deadpool as they initially had been. Opening in February 2016 with an outrageous (yet compelling) marketing campaign, Deadpool earned a whole lot of money in a month that’s usually reserved for underwhelming releases. It didn’t just signal how much interconnected groups on the internet were becoming an influence upon Hollywood’s output, but it cemented Ryan Reynolds’s stardom and demonstrated that blockbusters geared towards adults could easily flourish alongside family friendly films.
Kudos therefore must go to Deadpool for ushering in a new era of R-rated thrills, such as Logan, the Hellboy and Spawn reboots, and of course, Deadpool 2.