Ryan Reynolds paid $10,000 from his own pocket to put a Bea Arthur tank top on Deadpool in the 2016 film. Studios usually pour money into explosions and effects, so a five-figure bill for a single piece of clothing sounds almost silly. The reason goes back to a love story older than the film itself, one that involves a sitcom favourite and a very obsessive, very chatty comic book mercenary.

While the tank top looks like a gag, Arthur's family attached one condition to it, and that condition cost money.

Bea Arthur's family approved the use of her image if $10,000 went to a charity of their choosing. In the comics, Deadpool adores the Golden Girls actress, and Ryan Reynolds wanted that quirk onscreen. The tank top appears early in the film.

"Potentially cinema's most expensive Easter egg ever" Reynolds joked about the payment in the Blu-ray and DVD releases from 20th Century Fox.

He added, "As a producer, I had to approve that $10,000."

The obsession started on the comic page, where Deadpool called Arthur the s****** woman alive and hallucinated her. His team, the Deadpool Corps, even named its spaceship The Bea Arthur. A fan later raised the story on social media, and Reynolds publicly confirmed that the money went to her favourite charity. As reported by Empire, that same Blu-ray commentary also says that no Deadpool film truly works without Arthur.

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While the Arthur tank top proves Reynolds sweats comic details, a recent panel hints at more of the same.

At a Fanatics Fest panel in July 2026, Ryan Reynolds confirmed that another Deadpool film will arrive eventually. Speaking with moderator Nature Luvz You, he promised that the project will be great. The Merc with a Mouth has already starred in Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Marvel Studios has not set an official release date, though Reynolds remains actively engaged in early writing for the next chapter.

Reynolds said several deep cuts from classic comic runs are still missing from the current cinematic universe. He named stories by co-creator Fabian Nicieza as inspiration and praised his friend Gerry Duggan, a comic writer with storylines worth adapting. Away from Deadpool, Animal Friends is set for release on January 22, 2027, and rumours keep linking Reynolds to Avengers: Doomsday. Comic accuracy is worth $10,000 to a man like Reynolds.

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What are your thoughts on Reynolds paying $10,000 for a tank top? Let us know in the comments.