Wrexham ace Paul Mullin has long been hailed as a superhero on the pitch, so naturally, he took to playing one on the silver screen like a duck to water.
Back in 2023, the 30-year-old footballer was offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance by Wrexham’s celebrity owner Ryan Reynolds to appear in the new film ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, which was released last summer. Mullin took on the role of ‘Welshpool’, a Welsh twist on Reynolds’ famed character Deadpool, and although his appearance was a non-speaking cameo, the striker received star treatment from the production team.
Reflecting on the offer, Mullin shared told The Mirror that Reynolds actually apologised when asking him to join the film. “Ryan asked me quite a while before we filmed if I wanted to be in the movie. He apologised that he wanted me to be in it,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure there wasn’t an apology needed. It was something I was going to be over the moon to have the opportunity to do, and I’m eternally grateful for it.”
Mullin’s filming schedule was tightly packed due to his football commitments, whisking him away mid-season to shoot his scene, which is why his set visit was brief. Despite the quick turnaround, the experience left him awestruck.
“It was surreal when you see the set and things like that, but equally I didn’t have time to hang about,” he said. “We recorded it during the season in one day, so I wasn’t allowed much time there. Ryan and all the crew made sure I was in and out as quickly as possible I suppose I got the royalty treatment, as if I was Ryan Reynolds.
“It was over and done with really quickly, in a couple of hours. It was something I really enjoyed. I found it quite easy, and also refreshing. It was different. I loved it.”
Mullin, an English native, had no qualms about portraying a ‘Welsh’ character, sharing that his familial ties made him feel more connected to Wales: “My nan was born in Wales, and I consider myself more Welsh than English to be honest with you,” the Liverpudlian admitted.
Regarding the concept for Welshpool, Mullin revealed: “It [the idea for Welshpool] was just something Ryan came up with, and I thought it was brilliant. I really enjoyed playing the part. The suits are available to see all the time at the stadium I get to see them quite a lot. It was brilliant, I enjoyed the moment.”
Central to Wrexham’s impressive rise from non-league anonymity to the peak of League One under the stewardship of Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney, Mullin’s contribution has been pivotal. He’s scored over 100 goals in just over three seasons at the Racecourse Ground, which has cemented his legacy as one of the team’s greatest-ever forwards.
With the monumental popularity of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series and the Hollywood connections of owners Reynolds and McElhenney, the likelihood of adapting the club’s journey into a film is fairly high. When asked who would be suited to play him in such a film, Mullin swiftly proposed an answer.
“Me! I’ve got some experience now, so I think I could do it quite well,” he insisted. “Going forward, I could look into playing more [movie] roles. I’d love to. So why not?
“If I couldn’t pick myself then I’m not sure. I’d probably be a tough task to find someone who could do it the Scouse accent, the things that I say, the things that have happened. So yeah, I’d like to play it myself.”