Honestly, most people didn't see it coming. When Ryan Reynolds posted that first photo of himself in full Deadpool gear, giving a piggyback ride to a curly-haired kid from New Zealand, the internet had a collective "wait, who?" moment. That kid was Julian Dennison. He wasn't some Hollywood legacy hire or a veteran of the Los Angeles child-actor circuit. He was just a teenager from Lower Hutt who had recently stolen everyone's hearts in the indie hit Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Reynolds didn't even hold auditions for the role of Russell. He saw Julian's performance as Ricky Baker and basically said, "That's our guy." It was a gutsy move. You're taking a R-rated, multi-million dollar franchise and resting the entire emotional core on a fifteen-year-old who, by his own admission, hadn't even been allowed to watch the first movie yet.
Why Julian Dennison in Deadpool 2 Changed the Game
Usually, when you think of a pyrokinetic mutant in a Marvel comic, you picture someone like the original Rusty Collins: a slender, red-headed white guy. Julian Dennison changed that. By playing Russell (aka Firefist), he brought a level of representation to the superhero genre that we rarely see. He was a "chubby" kid of Māori descent, and he didn't shy away from that. In fact, he leaned into it.
There's a scene where he talks about how the superhero industry "discriminates" against people who don't look like Chris Evans. It was funny, sure. But it was also deeply true. Julian has mentioned in interviews that he grew up watching these movies and never saw anyone who looked like him. Being that person for a new generation of kids? That's heavy stuff. It's also probably why the character resonated so much. Russell wasn't just a plot device; he was a kid with real, messy, "hormonal" anger.
The Firefist We Got vs. The Comics
The version of Russell Collins we see in the film is a massive departure from the source material. In the comics, Rusty is a member of X-Factor and has a long, complicated history involving the Navy and a tragic accident where he accidentally burned a woman.
In the movie? He's an orphan at the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation. He’s being physically and psychologically abused by a "headmaster" who wants to "cure" him. This makes his rage feel earned. When he starts shooting fire from his fists, you're almost rooting for him to burn the place down.
- The Power Set: His pyrokinesis is linked directly to his emotions. The angrier he gets, the hotter the flame.
- The Connection to Cable: Josh Brolin’s Cable travels back in time specifically to kill Russell before he can grow up to become a serial-killing dictator.
- The Accent: Julian kept his Kiwi accent. He actually joked with Ryan Reynolds that he was "terrible at American," so they just let him be himself. It added a specific texture to the film that distinguished it from the sea of American-accented blockbusters.
Behind the Scenes and "Skux Life"
Working on a set with Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin would be intimidating for anyone, let alone a 15-year-old from New Zealand. Julian handled it with his signature "skux" attitude. For those who aren't familiar with NZ slang, "skux" is basically being cool, a lady-killer, or just having a lot of swag.
He spent five months in Vancouver filming. He apparently stayed in a "nest" of six pillows every night because he was terrified of waking up with a sore neck. He also had a bit of a "bromance" with Reynolds, whom he described as having a "beautiful face."
There was a lot of improv, too. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the banter is lightning-fast. Julian had to keep up with one of the fastest talkers in Hollywood. He didn't just survive; he thrived. He brought a sense of anarchic punk energy to the role that made Russell feel dangerous. You actually believed this kid could grow up to be the monster Cable was so afraid of.
What Happened After the Firefist Role?
Since 2018, people have been wondering if we'd see Russell again. With the X-Men finally integrating into the MCU, the door is technically open. However, Julian has been busy. He went from Deadpool 2 to Godzilla vs. Kong and recently joined the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake as Fishlegs.
He’s grown up. He isn't the "mutant kid" anymore. But his impact on the franchise is permanent. He proved that you don't need to fit a specific mold to lead a superhero movie. You just need the talent and the "skux" to pull it off.
How to Revisit the Firefist Arc
If you're looking to dive back into Julian's performance or understand the character's roots, here is what you should do next:
- Watch Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016): To see exactly why Ryan Reynolds hired him on the spot. It’s the unofficial "prequel" to his energy in Deadpool.
- Compare the Comics: Check out X-Factor #1 (1986) to see just how much they changed the character of Rusty Collins for the big screen.
- Look for the Deleted Scenes: The Deadpool 2 Blu-ray has several extended sequences at the Essex House that give more depth to Russell’s trauma.
Julian Dennison's turn as Russell Collins remains one of the most inspired casting choices in modern superhero cinema. It was a risk that paid off, giving us a character who was as vulnerable as he was volatile. If you haven't watched the "Super Duper $@%!#& Cut" of the film, it’s worth a revisit just to see the nuance he brings to those early prison scenes.