Stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, along with director Shawn Levy, met with Madonna to ask if they could use her song, ‘Like a Prayer,’ in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The trio spoke about their Madonna encounter during an interview with SiriusXM (via People). Levy says they made the “personal visit” and showed her how they would like to use the song. It was a bit more complicated than most other licensing deals, as Reynolds clarifies that the legendary singer doesn’t license her music out very often. In fact, he says that ‘Like a Prayer’ is one specific song that is rarely shared in such deals.
“It was a big deal to ask for, and certainly a bigger deal to use it,” Reynolds said. “We went over and met with her and showed her how it was being used, and where and why.”
Madonna is a seven-time Grammy winner and one of the biggest artists of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Levy says it felt like meeting royalty.
“I even asked someone who worked with her, I was like, ‘Am I allowed to just say Madonna?’” Reynolds adds. “Like, ‘Hello, Madonna. I’m fuckin’ Ryan.’ That was one of the great thrills of my life.”
Madonna allowed the Deadpool & Wolverine team to use ‘Like a Prayer’ but not as they originally pitched. Reynolds says “she gave a great note,” which they ended up implementing in the movie. He doesn’t say what exactly the note was, but they were more than happy with her contribution.
“She watched it, and I’m not kidding, just was like ‘You need to do this, this, and this, in this moment,’ Reynolds says, “and damn it if she wasn’t like, spot on.”
Levy added: “We literally went into a new recording session within 48 hours to do this one note. She had only one note, and it was a great note, and it made the sequence better.”
The director clarifies that Madonna’s son is a Deadpool fan, giving them an advantage when asking for permission to use the song. Reynolds, meanwhile, says he was just “lucky to be there.”
Deadpool & Wolverine premieres with ‘Like a Prayer’ in tow this week, July 26. We’ve seen 35 minutes of the film and came away not only impressed but excited about what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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