Welcome to Ryan Reynolds

Can the world get enough Ryan Reynolds? Arguably not, and it goes well beyond the planet we call home. Reynolds now has the task of keeping the galaxies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe spinning—or perhaps restarting, after a series of box office drops–with the July 25 opening of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Reynolds, whose breakout film role was in National Lampoon’s ‘Van Wilder’ (2002), may wear a full mask in Deadpool movies, but in recent years, he’s become way more visible in activities unrelated to movies. While we know Reynolds for his roles that combine charm with snark,  he’s also a man who is all-too evidently in it largely for the money.

But like with Deadpool, everything involving Reynolds is a big in-joke. We know he knows that we know what he’s up to. We laugh. He cashes in.

For example, consider this:

He’s recently been named the ‘Chief Island Officer’ for Yas Island.

Which brings up the question: The What for What?

The second “What” is easier to answer than the first.

Yas Island is a real place, even though its name sounds like an ‘80s band. It is a man-made island—11 years in the making, $40 billion in the building—in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

It is a ‘leisure and entertainment destination’ that is appropriate for the country that is #6 in the top 10 GDP per capita in the world.

Consider: there are six Disney parks around the world but there is only one Ferrari World, which, unsurprisingly boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, which goes from 0 to 149 mph in 4.9 seconds. Ferrari World is on Yas Island. There are three other amusement parks on Yas Island, five-star hotels, and a Formula One racing circuit that is, and will be until at least 2030, the location of the final race of the season.

Presumably Reynolds’ role will be one of promoting, with all the smarmy snark he can muster, people spending time and considerable amounts of money on Yas Island.

After all, $40 billion is the sort of thing that investors would like to see some serious return on, even if it means employing a man who does an extraordinary job of hiding any seriousness.

There has long been the case of actors appearing in commercials—who doesn’t crack a knowing smile seeing a young Sharon Stone touting Finesse Shampoo or a much younger Leonardo DiCaprio for Bubble Yum? But by and large there seems to be restraint. Yes, there may be George Clooney for Nespresso or his own brand of tequila. But could we imagine him touting Burger King? If so, how would we perceive him as an actor and director?

Ryan Reynolds has no such high-minded concerns. There’s Reynolds in spots for Aviation Gin. There he is snarking it up for Mint Mobile phone service. Not only does he have significant ownership positions in both of those companies, but he also co-founded in 2018 Maximum Effort, an agency that produces. . .commercials. T-Mobile just acquired Mint Mobile for a reported ~$1.35 billion, so if Reynolds owns 20 to 25 percent of the company, he’s in good shape—to say nothing of the fact in the official announcement of the acquisition T-Mobile noted: “Ryan Reynolds will continue in his creative role on behalf of Mint.”

Although everyone, with the exception of our editor-in-chief, loves Ted Lasso, a potentially larger number of people love the Welsh Wrexham Football Club, which is owned by Wrexham Holdings LLC, 95 percent of which is owned by the R.R. McReynolds Company LLC, which happens to be Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Take a scrappy football team, add a little star power and an infusion of Hollywood cash and, boom!, you’ve got a team that is not only on the upswing, but the subject for ‘Wcecome to Wrexham’ on FX.

Now R.R. McReynolds has joined with Eva Longoria, star of the L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Moisturizer commercial, and bought into the Mexico-based Club Necaxa football club, which raises the possibility of its very own docu-series.

And wending our way back to Yas Island, Reynolds, McElhenney and actor Michael B. Jordan own part of the BWT Alpine Formula One racing team.

Presumably the Chief Island Officer can comp tickets for his pals on the Yas circuit—and maybe even for the Formula Rossa rollercoaster.