How Ryan Reynolds paid tribute to Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Rob Delaney and his two-year-old son Henry who died of brain cancer

Ryan Reynolds discussed how he paid tribute to Rob Delaney's late son Henry in Deadpool & Wolverine.

On Monday, Reynolds, 47, took to Instagram to talk about how they honored Delaney's son, who tragically passed away at the age of two — just months after they finished filming Deadpool 2.

He shared several photos of him and Delaney, 47, on set while filming Deadpool & Wolverine and included an inset of Delaney's memoir A Heart That Works, which was released in 2022. 

In a touching gesture and moving caption, Reynolds praised his co-star — who reprised his role as Peter Wisdom, a friend of Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool in the franchise. 

Delaney first played the character in Deadpool 2, which was released in 2018 just months after his son Henry died after a battle with brain cancer.

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds pointed out that they included a special credit, which read: 'For Henry Delaney.'

'Rob Delaney brought PeterPool (née Sugarbear) into our hearts and effortlessly redefined the modern moose-knuckle — showing it can be chic AND practical,' Reynolds wrote in his caption. 

And after the new blockbuster introduced the concept of anchor beings in the Marvel Multiverse, he referred to his co-star as an anchor being, an individual who is vital to the survival and existence of a universe. 

'And if theories are correct, he may be the new Anchor Being,' Reynolds wrote.

'There's more to Rob Delaney than some realize,' he continued. 'He's one of the most subversively funny people I know.

'He's a beautiful, acerbic and vulnerable writer,' he continued about the New York Times bestselling author.

'If you stayed through the credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, you might notice a credit saying, "For Henry Delaney." Henry is Rob's son. And Rob lost his little boy to a brain tumor in 2018. Right as we finished Deadpool 2.'

He said that he wished he had included the tribute for Delaney's late son in the second Deadpool movie, so he is honoring Henry now.

'I've always kicked my own ass because I didn't place a tribute to Henry over the end credits of DP2,' he wrote.

'If there's a bright side, even more people are seeing Henry's name in the credits of Deadpool & Wolverine,' he added in his heartfelt and tearjerking caption. 'And at long last, father and son are sharing the same screen.'

Then, Reynolds shared his admiration for how the Catastrophe star handles grief, especially in his memoir. 

'Rob has a vivid perspective on unimaginable grief,' he wrote. 'And he takes an unfiltered, rage-ful, loving, sad and hilarious (yes, HILARIOUS) look at grief through his book, A HEART THAT WORKS. It's an incredible piece of writing which explores the kaleidoscopic colors of emotion Henry's passing revealed.' 

At the end of the lengthy note, he gushed about being honored to know and work with Delaney. 

'I'm lucky to know Rob. And I'm lucky to have friends willing to put themselves on the line to make others feel less alone.'

In January 2018, Delaney — who shares four sons with his wife Leah Delaney — revealed Henry passed away due to complications related to a brain tumor.

His late son was diagnosed with cancer two years earlier.

In 2022, Delaney wrote and published a memoir dedicated to Henry. 

In A Heart That Works, he opened up about how he and his family navigated grief after the devastating loss of his young son.