‘Deadpool And Wolverine’ star Karan Soni: ‘Deadpool’ 1 was the underdog movie; a scrappy thing that no one believed in – EXCLUSIVE |

‘Deadpool and Wolverine‘, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is on course to becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. The superhero film, with its R-rating, is continuing to shake up the hierarchy at the global box office, and now setting its sights on the $1 Billion mark. As the film continues to rampage at the box office, Karan Soni, known for his supporting role as Dopinder, Deadpool‘s cabbie friend, offers ETimes a heartfelt reflection on his extraordinary nine-year journey with the franchise.In this candid conversation, Soni shares his insights into the evolution of ‘Deadpool’, tracing its origins from an “underdog movie, a scrappy thing that no one believed in,” to a blockbuster which stands as the sole Marvel film of 2024.
With the latest film bringing with it a host of star-studded cameos; Soni, who has been behind the steering wheel in this franchise since 2016, recalls the pivotal moment his journey began, stating, “If Ryan hadn’t watched my audition tape, none of this would have happened.” He tells us how being part of the superhero franchise has opened countless doors in Hollywood and also shares his honest thoughts on handing over the keys to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Excerpts:

Karan Soni, after watching the movie, I have to ask you, what is it like being back in the Deadpool franchise with Ryan Reynolds?

Karan Soni: It’s really exciting. I love working with Ryan. He is such a star and so charming, so anytime you get to spend with him in any capacity is great. But, if you get to act with him, it’s even greater. This movie was a long time coming, and we didn’t know if it was going to even happen after the merger. Obviously, that’s a big part of the plot and everything, so when it was finally happening, it was very exciting.

Before Hugh Jackman agreed to be in this movie, were there different versions being considered?

Karan Soni: Yes, there were going to be different versions they were trying. This is before Hugh agreed to be in this movie… I would randomly get a text from Ryan maybe once a year, “What about this? Would you be interested in that?” Just different ideas. And I was like, “Oh my God, yes. Oh, you’re still working on it?” He’d say, “Yeah, I’m just trying to get it made.”
And then, when Hugh was announced, he was like, “It’s going to happen!” I think it was some version of “See you in London” or whatever, it was exciting because, for the longest time, we felt like maybe it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Obviously, a big part of this character now entering the MCU means there are so many characters, so many other franchises in that world. So you have to find a story and a movie that’s worthy of continuing in that thing. I think once Hugh was there, they ended up finding the perfect kind of vehicle for all of that.

Until now, it has mostly just been Deadpool and Dopinder. But now you have Wolverine in the mix and he’s even taking over the driver’s seat. How was that dynamic?

Karan Soni: Yeah, a little competition. But listen, if anyone can, it’s Hugh Jackman. I’m not going to get in the way. But it seems like he’s not as good of a driver. He’s not respecting that car.

You’ve been part of Deadpool since the start, what’s your perspective on the evolution of film over the years?

Karan Soni: Every movie ends up being what it’s meant to be eventually, including Deadpool. You know, it was made for not a lot of money and that was what it was meant to be. It was a scrappy thing that no one believed in. That was an underdog movie. That’s the charm of the movie. If it had more money, it wouldn’t have been the same thing. If you’ve been in the industry long enough, you realize that everything has its path and you just kind of go with the flow and do what’s necessary.
It’s always very flattering if Ryan asks for anything to be a part of in any capacity because I really think he’s such a genius and he puts in so much work and effort and is not just acting in these movies. He’s writing and editing and doing all these things. And ultimately, he’s making something that is for an audience. This movie, more than the other two, feels made for just pure joy.

What was it like at the premiere, getting to meet the whole cast?

Karan Soni: The premiere was really exciting. It was very big. Even from the second movie, it just felt bigger so it was exciting. My family couldn’t come because of this CrowdStrike outage, their flight got cancelled, so I brought a friend who’s a cardiologist. He is a big comic book fan and had never been to a movie premiere before. Seeing it through his eyes was so special because at a certain point, when you’re working in entertainment, you just kind of become accustomed to some of these things. He was crying at the smallest things and by the end of it, he was like, “This is better than the birth of my child.”

There’s so much nostalgia attached to this movie. Whether it’s seeing Deadpool or even Wolverine again. What was your biggest moment watching it on the big screen?

Karan Soni: Yes, that’s right, it was! It’s so interesting you ask, it was extremely emotional. When I watched it, I remembered my audition for the first movie back in 2015, nine years ago. I didn’t know what Deadpool was, it was all very secret. The sides were coded and all this stuff. I think Ryan has talked about it too, his career was in a different place then. He wasn’t as popular as he is now. He was going through the peaks and valleys that everyone goes through in their career and it wasn’t a movie that people were jumping to be a part of. It was really special making that movie as my first time in a big studio movie.

I remember making it and reading the script and thinking, “This is such a good script.” Everyone was like, “This is an R-rated movie. No one’s going to watch it. It’s a small thing that some cult fans will watch, whatever.” Then it became this huge thing that people love so much. For me personally, Deadpool and being a part of this world opened so many other doors in Hollywood.
Being at the premiere was so emotional because I was really grateful to be a part of this. In many ways, the rest of us from the older movies were a small part of its success, but we all feel like we were in it together. We made these things together.

It was so cool to then see this big new version of what it’s become. Deadpool and Wolverine is the only Marvel movie coming out in 2024. It’s big, carrying this legacy of these movies that started years ago. It’s cool because we were there at the beginning when no one cared. It was this small thing.

That’s wonderful to hear, Karan. It seems like you have a deep appreciation for your journey with Deadpool.

Karan Soni: Absolutely. And just lucky, you know. So much of it is out of your control. If Ryan hadn’t watched my audition tape, none of this would have happened. There’s so much stuff that your mind will hurt if you think about it, but mostly, I feel gratitude.