Ryan Reynolds shares heartbreaking reason behind ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ dedication

As “Deadpool & Wolverine” continues to dominate the box office, Ryan Reynolds has taken the last several days to share his gratitude for the other people who made the movie possible.

On Aug. 19, the movie’s star shared kind words about Rob Delaney, the actor who plays PeterPool. Delaney is known for his comedy, and Reynolds calls him “one of the most subversively funny people” he knows.

But as Reynolds explained on Instagram, Delaney is also “a beautiful, acerbic and vulnerable writer.”

“If you stayed through the credits of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ you might notice a credit saying, ‘For Henry Delaney,’” Reynolds explained. “Henry is Rob’s son.”

Reynolds said Delaney “lost his little boy to a brain tumor in 2018. Right as we finished ‘Deadpool 2.’” Henry was just 2½ years old.

“I’ve always kicked my own (butt) because I didn’t place a tribute to Henry over the end credits of (‘Deadpool 2’),” Reynolds continued. Now, he’s rectifying that.

“If there’s a bright side, even more people are seeing Henry’s name in the credits of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. And at long last, father and son are sharing the same screen.”

In a 2020 interview with BBC Radio, Delaney opened up about his son’s death, saying, “I don’t know where Henry went or what happened to him when he died — do you? But I know I’ll get to find out when I die. At the very least, I’ll get to experience something Henry experienced, and that’s wonderful.”

“That knowledge brings me peace,” Delaney continued. “I won’t say ‘I can’t wait,’ because I can.”

Delaney added, at the time, that while he doesn’t know if Henry’s death helped him love his other children more, it’s helped him “love them better.”

“They won’t be here forever,” he continued. “They’re here now, and it is my staggering privilege to get to hold them and smell them and stare at them.”

As Reynolds continued in his post, he praised the book Delaney wrote about his “vivid perspective on unimaginable grief.”

“He takes an unfiltered, rage-ful, loving, sad and hilarious (yes, HILARIOUS) look at grief through his book, ‘A HEART THAT WORKS,’” Reynolds writes.

“It’s an incredible piece of writing which explores the kaleidoscopic colors of emotion Henry’s passing revealed. I’m lucky to know Rob. And I’m lucky to have friends willing to put themselves on the line to make others feel less alone.”