Why did it take 11(ish) years to make Deadpool?

Question

According to several stories regarding the just released Deadpool movie, it is stated Ryan Reynolds (who had played a previous version of Deadpool) had to wait 11 years to play the main character in the Deadpool film. Why did it take 11(ish) years after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine to make Deadpool?

Answer 1

Because it was in development hell.

To be precise, it was in development from 2000, making it 16 years. But there were various reason at various levels. Here are the bullet points of it from Wikipedia:-

• May 2000, Artisan Entertainment announced a deal with Marvel Entertainment to coproduce, finance and distribute a film based on Deadpool.

• 2004, New Line Cinema attempted to produce a Deadpool film with writer/director David S. Goyer working on the spin-off and actor Ryan Reynolds.

• By August, Goyer lost interest in favor of other projects.

• In March 2005, after New Line put Deadpool in turnaround, 20th Century Fox became interested in moving forward on production for the project.

• Fox considered a Deadpool spin-off early in the development of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with Reynolds cast in the role, and after the opening weekend success of that film announced that it was lending Deadpool out to writers, with Lauren Shuler Donner acting as a producer. Donner wanted the film to reboot the character of Deadpool, ignoring the version and giving more justice to comic version with breaking the fourth wall.

• Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were hired to write the script in January 2010.

• The script leaked in the February of 2010 and garnered a positive reaction by the fans, prompting Fox to grant a small budget for test footage.

• In July 2014, the visual effects test footage created for the film in 2012 and starring Reynolds through motion capture, was leaked online. Blur Studio, the company that created the test footage, subsequently released it officially.

• In September 2014, Fox gave the film a release date of February 12, 2016

So in short, it was delayed because of Goyer's disinterest, studio change etc etc. But the leaks were too much responsible to there greenlight of the project.

Answer 2

Well, another reason that might not be so obvious to some people was the fact that Ryan Reynolds had to fondle a guy's balls who's name rhymed with "Pulverine" In the movie, Deadpool clearly states that he can't tell you who he you who balls he had to fondle ,but he does include some clues as to who's he did,

First scene in this video,

Then Ryan Reynolds discusses this in this interview,

Q: Can you tell me what you imagine fondling Wolverine balls feels like, b/c that played on my mind?

A: Its like Santa's sack he is carrying around, that thing is is like a good 15 to 16 lbs a peice

So, although it is pretty encrypted, the message is that he had to fondle Wolverines balls, or more specifically Hugh Jackman's. Which in itself was one of the main reasons it took 13 years.