With Deadpool 2 hitting cinemas worldwide this week, we thought it’d be fun to remember what it was we loved so much Tim Miller’s original Deadpool back in 2016.

A record-breaking smash hit on release, Deadpool wasn’t quite perfect as a film but it was exactly what the over-saturated superhero scene needed – namely, a kick up the posterior.

Here are five reasons we love Deadpool…

1. The ‘idiotic’ marketing campaign

Not our words but how many described the marvellously unconventional approach taken by the Deadpool publicity train. Top marks to Fox for giving the team free reign.

Without the budget of Marvel and DC’s big-hitters, Deadpool relied on a scrappy campaign. Self-positioned as the underdog, the film loaded its trailers with an abundance of jokes and digs at just about everyone, filled its billboards with a hideous Christmas jumper and actively heralded how little it took itself seriously.

Incredibly, it was Reynold’s own Twitter account that seemed to do most of the heavy lifting in this marketing. His was the passion project, theirs was the resounding success.

2. That opening sequence

Whilst a weakness of Deadpool was its rather generic plot, a strength was the way in which the film made it quite clear from the off that they knew it.

As Miller’s camera floats through a frozen action shot – passed the 2010 issue of People’s magazine that declared Reynolds the ‘Sexiest Man Alive!’ and a copy of Green Lantern (more on that later – titles announced that this was a film by ‘some douchebag’, starring ‘God’s Perfect Idiot’, ‘A Hot Chick’ and ‘A British Villain’.

Who was it written by? ‘The real heroes here’ – we quite agree.

3. The sheer smuttiness of it all

Over in the States, Deadpool became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. In the UK, the stigma is less significant – Deadpool was a paltry 15 here – but it is still remarkable just how much smut Fox allowed to unfold in the film.

With more f-bombs than Infinity War has principle characters, a sex-montage and Game of Thrones-esque violence, Deadpool went all out in breaking the family-friend super-mould. This was definitely one for the grown-ups.

As Captain America might say, ‘language!’

4. The Gratuitous Cameo

Speaking of smut… Stan Lee continued his tradition of appearing in every Marvel film going here in a scene that could never appear the MCU.

When Wade and Weasel rush off to a strip bar to find Vanessa before Francis does, who do they find MC-ing the night? Stan ‘You can’t buy love but you can rent it for three minutes’ Lee of course!

Even the behind-the-scenes truth can’t spoil this one – turns out Lee wasn’t actually there:

“I don’t know if I should tell you the truth about that cameo. It will kill all your fun,” said Lee. “I was not in the topless dancing place. I did that in a studio and then they put it into the movie, and I’m damn mad about that!”

5. Ryan f******g Reynolds

What do Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pine have in common? They both managed to move on from TWO mediocre superhero films to deliver a great one. Third time’s the charm, as they say.

Sure, the relentlessness of the jokes in Deadpool probably would have worked with (almost) any actor in the lead role but this is a scenario that is genuinely difficult to imagine. As far as we’re concerned, Reynolds is Wade Wilson – and we’re not talking about his X-Men Origins: Wolverine version.

Not only did the actor’s enthusiasm for the project play a big part in its commercial success but his on-screen charisma gave the film a fun, hugely entertaining and even lovable extra level.

Whereas Deadpool could have been too self-aware – there’s no fourth wall here to break – for its own good, Reynolds sold it.

Who’s ready for more?