Why You'll Probably Never See Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively In Another Movie Together

Actors and spouses Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively first met while making the superhero movie "Green Lantern." Reynolds played the titular hero and, somewhat appropriately as it turned out, Lively was his love interest. Although the adorable moment when Lively and Reynolds fell in love didn't happen on that movie set, making "Green Lantern" together is still an important part of the celebrity couple's relationship timeline. 

However, any fans hoping to see the sweet couple collaborate on another movie are likely to be disappointed. Lively appeared in a February 2024 installment of "Further Ado," a web show hosted by Lively's friend and former co-star Amber Tamblyn on her "Listening in the Dark" Substack (they appeared in the "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movies together) and, during that conversation, she confirmed why it wouldn't happen again. 

"When Ryan and I got together, we made a rule not to work at the same time. So that we could always prioritize our personal life," she explained. It's not always easy, with Lively telling Tamblyn, "That takes working really hard when we're not. Just like financial planning and sustaining that; it takes balance." It's also quite different from the work-life balance Lively had on "Gossip Girl," but such a routine has benefited the couple and their family.

In a 2021 interview with LinkedIn News, Ryan Reynolds discussed taking a step back from acting to focus on his marketing work with MNTN, which bought his business, Maximum Effort Marketing, that same year. Spending time with his children was another major reason for Reynolds' break. At the time, he and Blake Lively had welcomed three of their four children; James, Inez, and Betty.

The "Deadpool" star often shot his films away from home. Since Reynolds also frequently wears many hats — actor, writer, producer, etc. — he couldn't get away. In addition to it being a good time to take an acting break because of his new gig as MNTN CCO, Reynolds noted, "For me, I just want to live like a normal human. I think I want my kids to have a pretty normal schedule."

He and Lively would take turns with acting gigs, meaning the entire family was away from home, which didn't work with their kids getting older. On keeping to a schedule, Reynolds shared, "I think it's really important for their development." He also noted, "I really enjoy being a present dad," using the time they're at school to work on MNTN, "But it is a juggling act." Reynolds has since jumped back into acting work, filming projects such as "IF" and "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Ryan Reynolds has been vocal about his disdain for "Green Lantern," even calling it "The darkest crease in the anus of the universe" on the "SmartLess" podcast. However, the comedic actor met Blake Lively because of the film. Although it left much to be desired, for fans and its stars alike, the press tour provided plenty of opportunities for sweet moments between its two leads — even before they started a relationship. 

In an excerpt of a 2011 E! News interview from the promotional tour, Reynolds joked about making a cameo in Lively's show: "I'm gonna play the Green Lantern in 'Gossip Girl,' yes." In response, she laughed and said, "Shh! Spoiler alert!" In 2021, a decade after "Green Lantern" was released, Reynolds rewatched it and poked fun at his wife once again. The actor live-tweeted his reactions in a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Reynolds quipped, "Hey @BlakeLively is in this movie!!" He also took a snapshot of a scene between their characters where Lively's arms are crossed and Reynolds is looking down and added the caption: "This was not bad foreshadowing for my life as a dad." The "Van Wilder" star then hilariously posted a video of Lively giving another character, Hector (Peter Sarsgaard), a hug. When Hector creepily sniffed her ponytail, Reynolds joked, "We are all Hector."