Deadpool Sidekick Karan Soni on How Ryan Reynolds Has Evolved Since Having Kids: 'His Heart Has Grown Even More' (Exclusive)

(L-R): Karan Soni, Ryan Reynolds. PHOTO: GETTY (2)

"I feel so bonded to Ryan from that first movie," says Soni about Reynolds

In the battle between Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool always reigns supreme — just ask Karan Soni.

At the film's New York City premiere on Monday, Soni, 35, opened up to PEOPLE about why he feels "bonded" to Ryan Reynolds, who he says has a heart that "has just grown even bigger than it was before" since becoming a father of four.

"I think honestly, to me, him having his kids has really, I've seen that his heart has just grown even bigger than it was before," says Soni. "And I think the success of the first movie at the time that it came in his career, to me, I feel like he really appreciated it after all the craziness of everything."

Karan Soni attends the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' New York Premiere on July 22, 2024 in New York City. DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY

"And I think he's really put his entire energy into it and his whole heart into it, and these movies weirdly are so crass, but they have so much heart, and it all comes from him," he adds.

The franchise's original film premiered in 2016, with its sequel following in 2018. Reynolds, 47, welcomed his first baby, daughter James, with his wife, Blake Lively, on Dec. September 16, 2014. The couple welcomed their second daughter, Inez, on September 30, 2016.

The actors are also parents to daughter Betty, 4, and younger fourth baby, born February 2023.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of "Deadpool & Wolverine" in New York on July 22, 2024. DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY 

As Soni noted, Reynolds' children weren't ready to prepare for the third film. He remembers seeing his children on the set of Deadpool 2. They stood in front of the camera to watch the "movies". personal" family movie shot by Reynolds.

" There's a scene like in the second movie where everyone is auditioning for X-Force, and he invites one of his girls came, and she was the cutest person,” Soni said. "He told me, 'We're going to take a five-minute break and she's going to the audition, right?' And that's like the sweetest thing, and I thought, this just melts my heart."

Soni, who plays taxi driver Dopinder in the series, says he's still "very aware Thank you Ryan for being a part of this movie." world."

Image from "Deadpool & Wolverine". JAY MAIDMEN

"I've felt very connected to Ryan since that first movie," he added. "You know, when we made the first movie, it was almost like an indie superhero movie at the time. So it was kind of a crazy thing that we did with this little scrappy thing." and now it's become very important. So my first time in cinema is still very close to me."