Do you know anyone who doesn’t love Ryan Reynolds? I mean, the guy has the chops to pull off comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He’s hunky (any other Adventureland fans here?). His tweets are hilarious. He embodies an endearing balance of sincere, ironic, and self-mocking. He is, by all appearances, a devoted husband and father of three girls. Spare me your bromance comments. Bromances fade. My love for RR is eternal.
- Ed Tankersley
FanSided Head of Contributor Operations
Best fan moment of the year
My man crush was fueled this year by three Ryan Reynolds vehicles and a bombshell. First, there was 2021’s film Free Guy, streaming in 2022, which charmed with its clever concept and impressive special effects, energized by Reynolds’ childlike glee at discovering the rules of the computer game world he inhabits. This year’s The Adam Project, an earnest and occasionally moving time travel flick, generates much of its appeal from Reynolds’ sincerity and charm. Finally, there was Welcome to Wrexham; more about that below. The bombshell? Reynolds broke the Internet when he announced he’d convinced Hugh Jackman to return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, which will mark both characters’ official MCU debuts.
Why we needed this fandom this year
Last year’s Fandom of the Year was Ted Lasso, which topped our list for, among other things, its message of optimism that we sorely needed amidst 2021’s cultural and political upheaval. Well, not much has changed in a year, so watching Ryan and his business partner Rob McElhenney in the FX documentary Welcome to Wrexham, a real-life Ted Lasso-ish reality series about a 4th division Welsh football club that the A-lister duo purchase and struggle to invigorate, is a surprisingly engrossing balm to our collective souls.