Ryan Reynolds waited a long f--king time (pardon our French, but that's how it rolls with this character) to become Deadpool in his own movie.

As in, the project had been knocking around for more than a decade until a year ago -- and even though he'd been given a teaser of what cinematic life might be like as Wade Wilson in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," the solo treatment was but a twinkle in his eye 'til the cameras finally starting rolling and the swear words started flying.

And all the while, Ryan's been just biding his time, patient AF as this thing came together "in the right way" so that he and the filmmakers -- that is, director Tim Miller and co-screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick -- could FINALLY "make the movie we want[ed] to make."

So, did he keep his "Deadpool" suit? You bet your ass he did.

Per MSN, Ryan admitted to taking home his Deadpool suit in his interview with Marie Claire, saying that he'd bloody earned it after all that time waiting to wear it.

"I loved wearing it and I have run away with one," said Reynolds. "I'll probably get into trouble for saying that, but I've waited 10 years to do this movie so I'm leaving with a f--king suit."

Yeah, they probably owed him that one.

Of course, it looks like he might get the chance to wear it again anyway because not only is a "Deadpool" sequel also gaining some early traction (at a faster pace than the initial installment, might we add), but there's also a plan to "cross-pollinate" "Deadpool" with the Channing Tatum-led "Gambit" and his "X-Men" origins -- which would be a full circle revolution for Deadpool, for sure.

So, it's probably a good thing Reynolds feels so comfy in W2's black and red threads.