“He Had A Different Line In Rehearsal”: Origin Of Ryan Reynolds’ Apparent It Ends With Us Joke Revealed By SNL 50’s Cue Card Handler

Ryan Reynolds had a standout moment atSaturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, and it turns out that it wasn't the original joke. During the SNL50 event, Reynolds was a part of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's sketch and delivered a joke that many viewers speculate was a reference to the ongoing It Ends With Us legal battle, in which he and wife Blake Lively are currently involved with Lively's co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. While some initially thought the joke was pre-planned by SNL's writing team, it was actually revealed that Reynolds changed the original line.

In the sketch, Fey asked him, "Ryan Reynolds, how's it going?" The Canadian actor responded, "Great! Why, what have you heard?" During an appearance on the Fifi, Fev & Nick podcast (via CBR),SNL's Cue Card Wally, whose real name is Chris "Wally" Feresten, revealed Reynolds improvised the line. When asked if the bit was improvised or scripted, Feresten said, "that was his idea to do it." He revealed that the team was hesitant to touch on the controversy without Reynolds or Lively's permission, but the star pitched the joke himself. Read Feresten's full comments below:

That was actually... He had a different line in rehearsal, and he pitched that to replace it. So that was his idea to do it. We wouldn't want to do anything too controversial unless they were in on it. So yeah, that was his line, that was his idea to do it.

What This Means For SNL And Reynolds' Impact On The Show

The It Ends With Us Speculation Adds To The Buzz

Although Feresten did not confirm if Reynolds' joke was truly a nod to It Ends With Us, the internet has already run with it, given Reynolds' real-life marriage to Ends With Us star, Lively. Given the significant online discourse Baldoni's film has faced, the idea that Reynolds might have subtly referenced the ongoing feud adds further intrigue to SNL50: The Anniversary Special. The viral nature of the moment shows that even a single offhand comment on the late-night show can spark conversations across social media, with which they are familiar due to the many viral sketches from SNL.

Custom image of D- in a Box, Mister Robinson and Coneheads on Saturday Night Live

SNL: The 25 Best Seasons Ranked

Saturday Night Live has taken its place amongst some of the greatest TV shows of all time. These seasons are the best that SNL has to offer.

Posts

One of SNL's greatest strengths is its mix of scripted and improvised comedy, and Reynolds' decision to change his line demonstrates how much trust the show places in its performers. The 50th anniversary special was jam-packed with iconic moments, and Reynolds' joke seems to be one that has sparked a lot of conversations. As SNL continues to evolve alongside modern pop culture, keeping up with the most-talked-about topics on the internet and teaming up with experienced performers and writers who can successfully translate real-life experiences into sketches is a major asset to the show.

This Joke Fits In With Reynolds' Persona

He Is Known For Similar Material

This joke about the It Ends with Us drama is in keeping with the persona that Ryan Reynolds has cultivated both onscreen and off over the past decade. In 2016, he debuted as the title character in the Marvel movie Deadpool, playing the "merc with a mouth," who has a habit of making cheeky jokes that break the fourth wall. This comedy style has spread to many of his other movie characters, including the titular time traveler in 2022's The Adam Project, the art thief Nolan Booth in 2021's Red Notice, and a CGI Pikachu in 2019's Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.

[Ryan Reynolds] has rewritten or improvised quite a few lines over the years...

In addition to the joke being in tune with previous jokes in the Deadpool movies poking fun at Reynolds' career and other projects, it continues a habit that the star has of providing his own dialogue. He has rewritten or improvised quite a few lines over the years, particularly when it comes to the dialogue spoken by the foul-mouthed Deadpool. In fact, Reynolds involvement with the ongoing It Ends with Us controversy even involves him allegedly rewriting a key scene of the romantic drama.

Our Take On Reynolds' SNL 50 Moment

An Example Of Why SNL Still Works

The Title Treatment for SNL 50: The Anniversary Special in red and yellow

Whether Reynolds' joke was meant to poke fun at the It Ends With Us feud or not, the moment highlights how Saturday Night Live can keep up with new audiences and thrives on spontaneity. With SNL consistently looking for top-tier guest stars, it wouldn't be surprising if Reynolds or Lively made any other appearances on the show in the coming months, especially as Lively's next project, the upcoming Another Simple Favor, which reteams her with director Paul Feig and co-star Anna Kendrick, is set to debut in the spring.

For more insight into the star's work and how his comic stylings compare to the joke he added to his SNL appearance, read a breakdown of the best and worst Ryan Reynolds movies here.

Additionally, read a breakdown of 10 of the best improvised Deadpool lines from throughout the R-rated superhero franchise, which has so far grossed more than $2.9 billion worldwide.

In spite of the behind-the-scenes drama, which was already the subject of rumor and speculation during its 2024 theatrical release, the It Ends with Us box office raked in $351 million against its $25 million budget, making it the 20th highest-grossing movie of 2024. Read a breakdown of how this happened at the link.

Follow the link for additional insight into how the It Ends with Us controversy spreads far beyond the cast drama and the ongoing lawsuits, extending to the content of the original Colleen Hoover novel.

Source: Fifi, Fev & Nick (via CBR)