Welcome to Number 10; why did Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak?

It’s a photo on social media we didn’t think we would see anytime soon; an image showing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say down opposite another titan of industry; Ryan Reynolds. A possibility of Rishi making a cameo in the upcoming “Deadpool 3” movie, alongside Reynolds and Hugh Jackman?

In actuality, Reynolds met with the PM to discuss bringing more film projects to Wales, where both Rob McElhenney and himself have made an indelible mark with their ownership of Wrexham football club, in an attempt to boost the country’s economy  - further cementing his affection to what many consider the Canadian’s second home (both figuratively and literally.)

The actor is currently on a break from filming the latest “Deadpool” film due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes currently ongoing alongside the Writers Guild of America strike, effectively shutting Hollywood down. Though the strike prevents actors from working, it still allows them to discuss with governments about the film industry, 

Reynolds also took the time to express his admiration for UK film crews to Sunak and his love for filming in the UK, stating that Wales holds a special place for him to create movies; it was his hope that more film projects to head to Wales in the future, similar to the wave of film studios looking to New Zealand as an ideal location for productions in the mid-2000s.

Though it wouldn’t be Reynolds without breaking the seriousness of the mood with a quip; he mentioned that his Wrexham AFC co-owner, Rob McElhenney, was not present as he was too busy having a word with Manchester United youth team goalkeeper Nathan Bishop. Wrexham played a friendly against Manchester United earlier this week, where Wrexham's striker Paul Mullin suffered a punctured lung following a collision with Bishop

Why is Ryan Reynolds on strike?

Ryan Reynolds is among the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA union members participating in the strike, which began on July 14, over concerns regarding pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry. SAG-AFTRA has been engaged in industrial action after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). 

While the British union, Equity, is not part of the strike, it has shown solidarity by holding protests in Manchester and London in support of the US entity's cause.