The Deadpool & Wolverine actor opened up about balancing work and parenting

Ryan Reynolds is reflecting on the challenges of being a dad-of-four and a working actor.

The Deadpool & Wolverine actor and his wife Blake Lively, who he married in 2012, are parents to three girls and one son; they share James, nine, Inez, seven, and Betty, four, plus they recently confirmed that their fourth 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢, who was born in late 2022, is a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 boy named Olin.

And, amid the recent blockbuster success of Deadpool & Wolverine, and some award season buzz, he is taking into consideration just how much time away from family he has to give.

During a conversation with fellow actor Andrew Garfield for Variety’s annual Actors on Actors series, the former asked about the future of the Deadpool franchise, and if more movies are to come.

“I don’t know,” Ryan admitted, explaining: “Honestly, my feeling is that the character works very well in two ways. One is scarcity and surprise.”

He also noted that it “had been six years since the last one,” and that “part of the reason is that it swallows my whole life.”

Ryan went on: “I have four kids, and I don’t ever want to be an absentee [dad],” confessing: “I kind of die inside when I see their faces and they do a sports thing or something and I missed it.”

“I don’t know what the future of Deadpool will be, but I do know that we made the movie to be a complete experience instead of a commercial for another one,” he lastly shared.

Though working on Deadpool & Wolverine did take a lot out of Ryan’s time, his kids did get to be a part of it, as well as Blake, who played Lady Deadpool.

All four of their kids were credited as having roles in the movie, on the screen or otherwise. In the credits, James is credited for playing a Screaming Mutant, Inez is listed as Kidpool, Olin is Babypool, plus Betty appears to have had quite the epic on-set task: “Hugh Jackman Wrangler.”

Ryan previously gushed to People about the sweet bond his second daughter has developed with Hugh, who is Wolverine, sharing: “My four-year-old Betty sort of loves Hugh, like unconditionally,” though he added that “she expresses that love through unblinking violence.”

“So she attacks him, thinking she has claws and he has a healing factor — which he might,” he joked.