Blake Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, quietly joined Tumblr on Tuesday with a Deadpool gif set about reblogging fanfiction. I first thought the move was an indication that celebs may be looking elsewhere for engagement as the future of Twitter grows more uncertain (Reynolds has 20 million followers on the platform). And I wasn’t alone.
“You didn’t have $8?” quipped a reply to his first post. Another user wrote, “I hope that any real Twitter refugees figure out Tumblr culture before calling us ‘new Twitter’ and acting like this place functions like the shitty bird site.”
Other Tumblr users were more welcoming… sort of. “Enjoy the hellsite,” said one. “Honestly you might be the only celeb capable of surviving Tumblr without getting dunked on so hard you quit but also: at what cost?” read another user. “You’re gonna raise our HOA fees around here.”
But Reynold’s Tumblr is likely not a desperate jump, just another example of his historically well-timed promotional marketing prowess.
Reynolds created his Tumblr a day after dropping the trailer for his newest movie, Spirited, an Apple TV film he stars in opposite Will Ferrell. This morning he posted a gif set from the movie, tagging it with a collection of related and random topics (#spirited #dickens #dinosaurs #shower thoughts #astronomy) just like a Tumblr native.
Since 2017, the actor and director has savvily promoted his multiple business ventures — films like Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and the Deadpool franchise as well as his Aviation Gin—with pithy clips and trailers posted on YouTube and Twitter. Tumblr was just the next frontier.
As of yesterday, when Reynolds posted an It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gif doctored to include his own face, Tumblr users were on their way to being convinced that he belonged. “Been here 11 minutes and already shitposting,” one applauded. “Outstanding.” Another user sounded a little relieved. “I was worried the wolfs are gonna eat him up,” they said, “Nope, his woods now.”
Welcome to the fold, Reynolds.