Ryan Reynolds has made a surprising confession about his family life during a recent public appearance, revealing that one of his children has developed an unexpected fondness for what many consider his career's biggest misstep.
The Green Lantern Revelation
While speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CMO Council Summit on Tuesday, November 18, the 49-year-old actor addressed questions about past professional failures that ultimately provided valuable learning experiences. When prompted to identify such a moment, Reynolds responded with characteristic humour.
"Creatively speaking, it's hard to say. Someone might say Green Lantern," Reynolds acknowledged, referring to the 2011 superhero movie that was widely criticised by both audiences and critics alike.
However, the Deadpool star quickly added a heartwarming family twist to the story. "You laugh, but my son, it's his favourite movie and he watches it every f***ing day," he revealed to the amused audience.
A Silver Lining in Critical Failure
The admission provides rare insight into Reynolds' family life with wife Blake Lively, whom he originally met on the set of Green Lantern. The couple married in 2012 and now share four children: daughters James, Inez, Betty and their two-year-old son Olin.
Reynolds expressed both amusement and mild exasperation at his son's persistent viewing habits. "Do you understand the work I've had to do to get to the place where I can just pass by that screen and not go, 'Well, we could have [done something to make it better]?'" he asked the laughing crowd.
The actor reflected on his creative approach during that earlier stage of his career, describing himself as more compliant. "That was a time in my life when I was, 'Yes, sir. No, sir. How high can I jump, sir?'" he recalled.
Learning from Professional Setbacks
Reynolds emphasised the importance of taking ownership of both successes and failures in Hollywood. "They don't say, 'This producer's movie flopped,' or 'This director's [movie flopped].' That's me," he stated. "So if I'm going to be on that headline, I'd like to be the architect of my own demise — or success."
This isn't the first time Reynolds has spoken candidly about Green Lantern's shortcomings. Back in 2021, he live-tweeted his first complete viewing of the film, admitting he had previously only watched his own scenes. He described the experience as "genuinely exciting" and ultimately concluded that while the project was "not perfect," it "ain't a tragedy."
The film's legacy remains complicated for Reynolds, serving simultaneously as a professional disappointment and the foundation of his personal happiness. Despite the movie's failure to launch a franchise, it successfully brought together one of Hollywood's most enduring couples and now provides daily entertainment for their youngest child.
Reynolds' comments come as his wife faces her own professional challenges, including what has been described as a '$161 million court clash' with her former It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
