You'll Always Be My Barry: Ryan Reynolds & Grant Gustin's MNTN Commercial Explained
No one gets more mileage out of a trainwreck than Ryan Reynolds. The "Deadpool" star is something of a business tycoon these days, with his production company and digital marketing agency Maximum Effort allowing him to reach a wider audience for companies he owns a share in, like Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile. In 2021, MNTN purchased Maximum Effort, which led the larger marketing company to hire Reynolds as its Chief Creative Officer. Reynolds took the opportunity to bash his critical and financial bomb "Green Lantern." This time, though, he does it alongside another beloved DC star: Grant Gustin, star of the CW's "The Flash" television series.
In a 2023 commercial for MNTN, Reynolds, playing himself, introduces Seymor Roas (Gustin) as MNTN's Chief Performance Officer. Roas then shares the parameters of his job description and praises MNTN's ambition for efficient and quick work, only for Reynolds to respond with, "Would you say that people could see results ... in a flash?" This is where the commercial stops being a commercial and starts being one of Reynolds' trademark goofs. The two share an awkwardly long silence as Reynolds stares at Roas with mischievous intensity. After a few feeble attempts at conversation, the MNTN logo fills the screen, and Reynolds solemnly states, "You'll always be my Barry," to which Roas replies, "You'll always be my Hal."
Barry and Hal are the first names of the versions of the Flash and the Green Lantern that Gustin and Reynolds played. In "The Flash," Gustin is Barry Allan, the fastest man alive. In "Green Lantern," Reynolds is Hal Jordan, a fighter pilot with an iron will. Despite both properties suffering in their own ways, the two stars remain beloved by fans.
Ryan Reynolds understands his market better than most
Ryan Reynolds practically built the most recent phases of his career, both onscreen and off, by mocking himself. He takes potshots at DC's Green Lantern" and at Marvel's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" — where 20th Century Studios infamously cast him as a mute version of the Merc With a Mouth — whenever he can and audiences eat it up. Even though curated, something is compelling about a member of the Hollywood elite ragging on projects that simply failed to achieve their intended goals. It doesn't hurt that Reynolds uses his "Deadpool" franchise, which is well known for breaking the fourth wall, to rub salt into his old wounds, either. To his credit, "Deadpool" worked in no small part because it reminded audiences what it improved upon.
Conversely, Grant Gustin's celebrity persona is far less vindictive. While it's true that the CW's "The Flash" series was heavily criticized for leaning into repetitive soap opera plot points, Gustin exited the project after nine seasons with an audience grateful for his time and talent. In fact, during the most strenuous months leading up to the DCU's "The Flash" film, fans lent their vocal support, with many claiming that Grant Gustin is a better Flash than Ezra Miller. While never requesting such support, Gustin continues to state that he'd happily come back to "The Flash," should DC ever call.
Reynolds knows what he doing. Getting Gustin onboard for a commercial where they commiserate through kindness is the perfect fuel for both their careers. Plus, and let's be real, here, it was pretty darn funny.