Over the years, Ryan Reynolds has discussed some of the stars he admired at a young age, and John Candy is high on that list. In fact, Reynolds admired his fellow Canadian star so much that he even produced a documentary about Candy called I Like Me. That’s not the only way Reynolds has paid tribute to the late Uncle Buck icon, as he also honored him with Easter eggs placed within the Deadpool films. I’d honestly never caught all of these nods but, after learning about them, I find them incredibly sweet.
Ryan Reynolds recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote his new documentary. Meyers eventually pointed out that Reynolds peppered references to John Candy throughout the Deadpool trilogy. The first – and I can’t believe I didn’t know Reynolds previously discussed this tribute – is the book The Canadian Mounted. That piece of literature is what Candy’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles character, Del Griffith, reads in the movie. Check out a shot of Wade Wilson reading it in the superhero franchise’s second film:
That’s not the only reference to Planes that’s tucked into the Marvel movie series, either. After seeing the Late Night interview (which is on YouTube) I was also surprised to learn that the burnt-out 1983 Chrysler LeBaron convertible that Del and Neal Page use in the film also appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, when the two titular characters traverse The Void. Check it out in the the right-hand corner of the still down below:
Seriously, as someone who considers himself to be relatively observant, I can’t believe I never noticed that vehicle in that shot. As Reynolds humorously mentioned on Late Night, though, the car had to be renamed the Grand Detroit to avoid legal issues. In addition to the car and the presence of The Canadian Mounted, there are a few other specific references to Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
As Ryan Reynolds noted (via People) during a special presentation of the John Candy doc, the Merc with a Mouth also gives an impassioned appeal to Wolverine similar to Del’s “I like me” speech. On that same token, Logan chews out Wade in a way that mirrors Neal’s berating of Del. Reynolds said during the event that in the movie, the adamantium clawed mutant essentially “rips Wade Wilson a new asshole.” (And that’s a spot-on assessment.)
Those references to candy in the Deadpool movies were sweet enough ways for the Free Guy star to honor him, but the documentary is an even better way to do so. Directed by Colin Hanks, the film was seemingly a passionate project for Reynolds and, with the help of Candy’s kids, he and Hanks crafted a sweet film to honor the late star’s memory and get fans in their feelings.
Honestly, the Deadpool flicks hit just a little differently with the knowledge that there are so many references to the work of John Candy. It’s surreal to think that the world has been without Candy’s comedic brilliance for over 30 years now. Despite that, his legacy lives on through his kids as well as fans – including Ryan Reynolds – who continue to pay homage to his work.
Check out John Candy: I Like Me by streaming it with a Prime Video subscription. Also, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream all three Deadpool movies.