Ryan Reynolds posted a Deadpool tribute to Kenny Rogers on social media a few nights ago. Reynolds posted a deleted scene from the first movie and informed fans that the original idea was to have him singing Rogers’ iconic 1978 hit “The Gambler” while beating the hell out of Ajax. Kenny Rogers passed away on Friday evening at the age of 81. He sold over 100 million records worldwide and fit into a number of different categories, though country is what normally first comes to mind.
Deadpool aka @VancityReynolds singing @_KennyRogers. I wish they had kept this in the first movie. #RIPKennyRogerspic.twitter.com/z54KOxBL7b
— _-_-_-_ a disappearing boy_-_-_-_ (@ChalametTheGod) March 22, 2020
Ryan Reynolds posted the video via his Instagram story, which showed the unfinished Deadpool deleted scene. There are no visual effects, but one can get the idea through all of the action on the screen. From there, Wade jumps into a version of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” as he continues to beat the hell out of Ajax, straining when kicking and punching. The choreography in the scene works perfectly along with the song, but one can easily see why it was left on the cutting room floor.
Deadpool and Kenny Rogers may seem like an odd combination, but it worked pretty well, as you can see below. “The Gambler” is a song written by Don Schlitz in 1976, though the song is best-known with Rogers’ name attached. A number of other artists recorded it first, including Johnny Cash, but it was Rogers’ version, from his album of the same name, that took off. The country song crossed over into the pop charts, which was incredibly rare in the late 1970s. The album and single were a huge success and it eventually earned him the Grammy award for best male country vocal performance in 1980.
Deadpool is no stranger to pop culture and his version of “The Gambler” would have fit right in. The scene in question comes up before the flashback where Wade is introduced to Ajax, so the deleted scene would not have set things up as well. The dialogue in the final cut lets the audience know how much these two characters hate each other, which ultimately works much better for the Merc with a Mouth and the storytelling in the first installment.
Deadpool 2 hit theaters and was a success, despite the fact that it did not include a Kenny Rogers song either. Deadpool 3 is reportedly being worked on currently, though we have yet to really hear anything official as of yet. Ryan Reynolds has held meeting with Marvel Studios and Disney, but we’re still waiting for the confirmation. As to whether or not the movie with be R-rated, that’s a whole other question at this time. For now, Marvel fans should just sit back and enjoy a deleted scene from the first movie, paired with some Kenny Rogers. Unfortunately, Ryan Reynolds’ Instagram story has expired, but you can check out an alternative link below.
