LDS Church Supporters Cry 'Blasphemy' Over Deadpool Poster

Promo looks strikingly like painting of Jesus commissioned by the church
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 13, 2018 8:56 AM CST
Why a Deadpool Poster Has Upset LDS Church Supporters
This image shows Ryan Reynolds in a scene from "Deadpool 2."   (20th Century Fox via AP)

Once Upon a Deadpool opened nationwide Wednesday, and while it's earning tepid reviews, its promo poster is drawing more heated reaction. Who's hot about it: supporters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which boasts a painting that looks to be the inspiration for the Deadpool poster, reports Fox 13. The poster (see it here) shows the film's main character, wearing a flowing white garment under the words "Yule Believe in Miracles," with various characters playing musical instruments on either side of him, per the Salt Lake Tribune. What's got LDS advocates upset is that it very closely resembles Harry Anderson's The Second Coming, which was commissioned by the church and now appears in various LDS venues and adherents' homes. Instead of the masked Ryan Reynolds character, the Anderson art shows Jesus Christ in a white robe, surrounded by angels playing trumpets.

A petition signed by more than 36,000 people as of Thursday morning notes that "it is unknown if the picture was used to intentionally mock the Church of Jesus Christ, but it is clear it was copied from the original picture. This is a form [of] religious discrimination." Some of the petition's comments include accusations of blasphemy, hate speech, and sacrilege over the poster—though a few commenters tell others to lighten up over the "satirical" poster and "go see the movie." A Mormon studies expert says the movie's marketing team should've more properly vetted how this poster would affect the LDS community. "If that wasn't done, then I think it's a failure of research," he tells Fox 13. "If it was done and they're disregarding people's feelings ... that would be really unfortunate." (The church doesn't want people calling them "Mormons.")

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