Did Marvel cut a deal with Madonna? Ryan Reynolds reveals how the popstar’s hit Like a Prayer ended up on the soundtrack for Deadpool and Wolverine.
Fans were floored when the trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine hit the net and revealed that Madonna’s Like a Prayer would be the film’s defining pop song. It was a fit so perfect fans couldn’t have even dreamed of it. This also left many to wonder how Ryan Reynolds and Marvel managed to swing the rights.
For as big of a pop star as Madonna is, the artist is relatively protective when it comes to letting her songs be used in movies and TV shows. Especially regarding massive hits such as Like a Prayer, not even Marvel’s pallets of cash could hope to get the song in the magnificently bloody Deadpool and Wolverine. However, it seems Ryan Reynolds found a way.
Ryan Reynolds Reveals His Madonna Methods
Like a Prayer certainly didn’t land in Marvel’s lap easily. When explaining how the song landed on the soundtrack of Deadpool and Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and the film’s director Shawn Levy explained that they had to personally visit Madonna. Once they did, she was fully committed to putting the song in the upcoming film.
“It did involve a personal visit to Madonna, where we showed Madonna the sequence where ‘Like a Prayer’ would be used,” Levy explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Also, let’s preface it with the fact that they don’t license — that Madonna doesn’t just license the song, particularly that song,” Reynolds continued. “It was a big deal to ask for it and certainly a bigger deal to use it. We went over and met with her and and sort of showed her how it was being used, and where, and why.”
“Like am I allowed to just say, ‘Madonna?’” He joked. “Like, ‘Hello Madonna, I’m Ryan.’”
“She gave a great note,” Reynolds explained. “She watched it, and I’m not kidding, [she said], ‘You need to do this.’ And damn it, if she wasn’t like spot on.”
“We literally went into a new recording session within 48 hours to do this note,” Levy concluded. “It made the sequence better.”
With how synonymous Like a Prayer has become with Deadpool and Wolverine, it’s hard to imagine the film without Madonna’s name on the soundtrack. This is just the most recent example of the lengths that Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy have gone to in order to make the film the most exciting Marvel project in years, and it looks like they’re succeeding!
Deadpool and Wolverine is currently expected to be released on July 26, 2024. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
