There is seldom a dull moment in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, yet Marvel Studios put on one of its more characteristic meta-stunts for the blockbuster presentation. Ryan Reynolds made an uninvited appearance at the Avengers: Doomsday panel to publicly and with some cheek make his case for a place in the forthcoming ensemble film.
The ruse was set in motion when a masked individual bearing dual katanas made his way to a microphone the audience had been provided, all while the panel was under way with Kevin Feige at the helm. For the thousands in the room it was something of a guessing game as to who was behind the mask; Reynolds would not put an end to the speculation until he took to Instagram later to confirm the bit and describe the get-up as “Jeanpool,” a full-body tactical suit that amounted to a denim Canadian tuxedo.
Staying in character from the floor, Reynolds put in a good word for Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the MCU before turning his sights on the panelists. He made a pointed reference to Deadpool & Wolverine by asking Paul Rudd where Thor was and what had him in tears, prompting a lighthearted retort from Rudd about Wrexham. The comedy gave way to a matter of studio business as Reynolds inquired if principal photography on Doomsday was in the books or if there was any leeway for “additional photography” without any overages.
One could call it a Meta-Marketing Masterclass. Where other studios are content with the usual press junkets and trailer schedules, Reynolds has made a genre out of this kind of fourth-wall-breaking guerrilla marketing. At an event like Comic-Con he makes a habit of muddying the waters between fan theory and promotion.
In the end, it does not matter whether Reynolds’ Deadpool will be sharing screen time with Downey’s Doctor Doom or is being held in reserve for the multiverse reset of Secret Wars. The stunt has done its job for the studio by making sure all eyes are on their crossover pipeline. It is a fine example of how to keep an unconfirmed cameo as the subject of convention talk.