Nicepool breaking the fourth wall with "The Proposal" was hilarious.

That moment was peak meta-humor! Ryan Reynolds making a reference to his own 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal while playing Nicepool in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) was such a brilliantly random joke.

Here are some interesting behind-the-scenes facts, trivia, and cultural impact surrounding Nicepool and The Proposal reference in Deadpool & Wolverine:

Behind-the-Scenes & Trivia

Double Duty by Ryan Reynolds: Just like he plays multiple characters or versions, Ryan Reynolds physically played both Deadpool and his polite, weaponless variant Nicepool.

The "Gordon Reynolds" Joke Connection: In the mock-credits and promotional material for the film, Nicepool is hilariously credited as being played by Gordon Reynolds—Ryan Reynolds' long-running fictional "evil twin brother" persona from old marketing videos.

The Dogpool Detail: Nicepool’s constant companion, Dogpool (Peggy), shared a lot of screen time with him. To get Dogpool to constantly lick Ryan Reynolds during scenes, the crew had to put salmon paste inside Reynolds' mouth! 

Reynolds later joked that he could still taste it long after filming wrapped.

The Meta Fourth-Wall Layer: When Deadpool makes a reference to another Ryan Reynolds movie (Van Wilder) earlier in the scene, Nicepool fires back by proving he can break the fourth wall too, looking directly into the camera to say "The Proposal".

The Streaming Surge Effect

Reviving a Rom-Com: Just like anything Ryan Reynolds touches turn to gold, the quick shout-out caused a massive resurgence in popularity for his 2009 romantic-comedy The Proposal (co-starring Sandra Bullock).

Right after the movie hit theaters, The Proposal shot back up into the streaming charts on platforms like Hulu as fans rushed to rewatch it.