Free Guy: Was Ryan Reynolds' Muscly 'Dude' Body Real Or CGI?

As mind-blowing as it was to see Ryan Reynolds' buffed-out bod in "Free Guy," the actor himself did not spend months on end to achieve such a physique. Only the "Deadpool" star's face and voice were used, while the character was performed physically by athlete and actor Aaron W. Reed. Towards the end of the film, Guy (Reynolds) goes up against a significantly stronger version of himself named Dude (Reed) as a final antagonist sent out by Antwan Hovachelik (Taika Waititi). It's a tough fight, but Guy manages to overcome his opponent by lending him his special glasses.  

Standing at an impressive 6 foot 7 inches, Reed's career in the athletic world is unsurprisingly impressive. After overcoming struggles with leukemia as a child, Reed would get into professional bodybuilding at age 19 before getting into the WWE at age 29. He later went on to author the fitness nutrition book "The Supernatural Lifestyle" in 2015. Since 2019, Reed has had a handful of performances, including episodes of "Jane the Virgin" and "NCIS: Los Angeles."

While working on "Free Guy," Reed had a fun time with the stunt team, saying in a 2021 interview with Bodybuilding, "Working with the stunt guys was so fun. Those guys are my speed because they're always wrestling and messing around. Whenever we had down time, I'd ask them to show me cool stuff." In addition to working on the Oscar-nominated film, Reed and Reynolds teamed up on another "Free Guy"–related piece of content that's worth checking out.

Prior to the release of "Free Guy," a cheeky piece of marketing was released that once again combined the talents of Ryan Reynolds and Aaron Reed. The mock behind the scenes featurette video sees Reynolds discussing what it took to achieve the incredible physique. 

The clip starts with Reynolds poking fun at actors who complain about the strenuousness of their movie workouts, claiming that it only took him one week to complete the transformation. He goes on to share some of his routine that includes drinking a "protein bomb" that contains actual human muscle, which he claims is both organic and illegal. After speaking a bit about what it takes to be an actor, we switch over to a surprise appearance of the Deadpool costume laid over the couch. But for anyone hoping to see Reynolds throw on the iconic suit, he has some bad news for you. "Sure, I don't fit into the Deadpool suit anymore," Reynolds comments. "But life is about growth ... hormones." The playful teaser ends with Reynolds describing how he fathered his youngest daughter while at this stature, adding that she was born full-grown and with shoes on. 

The interview segments with Reynolds are sure to bring a chuckle, with Reed's flexing muscles contrasting perfectly with Reynolds' line delivery. And while it's obvious that the household scenes are Reed facing away from the camera, it's all still good fun.