You may have noticed that at one point during Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson is seen wearing a white T-shirt in honor of Olivia and Meredith, the two Scottish Fold cats belonging to Taylor Swift.
Unsurprisingly, 20th Century Fox and, more specifically, Ryan Reynolds and director David Leitch needed written consent from Tay Tay herself before deciding to shoehorn in yet another pop culture into Deadpool 2, the comic book sequel that’s now available across digital platforms.
Speaking of which, the digital release includes a special commentary track featuring Leitch and Reynolds – not to mention screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese – who discuss all things Deadpool 2, including the bleak opening and why they decided to cut a montage of the Merc’s multiple failed suicide attempts. Imagine Groundhog Day… only much darker.
And the Swift reference? If it wasn’t for Fox seeking permission, the reference wouldn’t have come to pass:
Reynolds: “We made that t-shirt just ’cause I thought it was funny, and then found out from FOX’s legal team that we needed actual written consent from Taylor Swift to use it. She graciously and kindly gave it to us.”
Leitch: “Wouldn’t it be cool if she actually said no, and then what would we have done? It would have been awesome.”
Alas, the same can’t be said for Donald Glover’s canned Deadpool animated series, which was supposedly scrapped mid-way through development after a Taylor Swift gag was deemed the “final straw.” Neither Glover nor FX have offered up any more details on that gag since the cancelation, though we suspect it was a little darker than a simple nod to Tay Tay’s incredibly cute cats.
Look for Deadpool 2 to make its way over to Blu-ray and DVD next Tuesday, August 21st.