For two films, Ryan Reynolds has portrayed the oft-times psychotic Wade Wilson, also known asDeadpool. The first film was a breakout for the character and Reynolds in the superhero genre, who seemed to have a perfect synthesis, with one being born to play the other. The sequel,Deadpool 2, brought us further down the R-rated rabbit hole and found more success with audiences, grossing $785.8 million worldwide.
Now, Deadpool is set to officially join theMCU. This is both a good news/bad news scenario for anyone with any knowledge of the character, Marvel Studios, and the Disney machine. Everything we’ve seen so far seems to be heading in the right direction.However, does Deadpool stand a chance inside the locked box of the official Marvel brand?
Ryan Reynolds Has a Long History With Deadpool
Deadpool has been a staple of the Ryan Reynolds library of characterssinceX-Men Origins: Wolverine. It was a terrible film that is famous for wasting several amazing actors as well as characters. One of these was Deadpool. Reynolds, known for playing wisecracking characters, seemed ideal for the part and, for the first half, was able to express himself as such. However, the big reveal—that he had no mouth and katanas coming out of his arms—seemed a bit of a puzzler. So Reynolds went off in a different direction.
The firstDeadpoolmovie came from a test reel of the big fight scene that eventually plays out in the film itself. Reynolds and director Tim Miller created the test reel, but Fox was unhappy that it would be an R-rated film. Then, the footage was leaked, and audiences went nuts. Fox gave them the green light, a lot less money than they wanted, and they went on to create one of the most iconicmodern action movie characters.
Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer Unveils First Look at Hugh Jackman’s Epic Return
The second trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine has continued to hype up the incoming MCU movie with a first look at Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.
The secondDeadpoolfilm was a much bigger affair. Characters returned, but the plot was cranked up a notch, with even more big-name actors playing B-listcomic book charactersand featuring Josh Brolin (who was already Thanos in the mainstream MCU). We got to know Wade a bit better and got his fourth wall breaks, and many people were happy with how the film continued the character’s legacy.
Then,Marvel announced they were foldingDeadpoolinto the MCU, and audiences understandably started getting nervous. This was, after all, the R-rated rage monster who sliced heads off with enough blood to start a donation drive. Were they going to put him next to squeaky-clean Steve Rogers?
Deadpool 3 Features a Team Up to End Audience’s Fears
Deadpool & Wolverine
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
So, Deadpool is definitely entering the Marvel universe for his third film. Great. But how? Who will help usher him into the larger Marvel world? Why not his crush/nemesis, Wolverine, AKA Hugh Jackman? It seems like a great idea. But didn’t he die?
This is where things start to feel like the last pieces of Wade Wilson are being pulled taut. Although this is a team-up that people want to see, it will also capitalize on the death of the Fox universe and show Wade and Logan purging the old characters. By all accounts, there is a plot, but it will alsobe a cameo bonanza. So the question is whether it will feel like a real movie or if it will feel like a cheap cash grab/nostalgia trip for the oldsters who want to remember their favorite black-leather X-Men.
Marvel seems unable to decide just how much they can get out of Deadpool and still allow him to be himself. Wolverine had his R-rated farewell inLogan(thanks to the Deadpool rating), which means they are on roughly the same footing. Plus, Jackman seems delighted to have been pulled back in by Reynolds. So these two characters were meant to be on screen together, with Wade making stupid comments and Wolverine being able to use his claws in the most unchecked manner because he knows Wade will always heal. When you can’t die, you run your mouth. When you run your mouth, Wolverine might just slash your throat.
Deadpool & Wolverine Is Continuing a Bad Trend From the Previous Movie
Deadpool & Wolverine looks like the movie event of the summer, but it also continues a bad trend that started with Deadpool 2.
And so we have a thirdDeadpoolmovie,Deadpool & Wolverine. It is meant to be the last gasp of all these characters in their old universe, with Deadpool being brought inby Marvel’s TVA(as seen inLoki) to prune the Fox universe. It’s a fun way to allow Deadpool to comment on the MCU and maybe even interact with one or two characters. But perhaps it will be in a far different capacity than any of us expect.
‘Sparingly’ Is Not the Disney/Marvel Ethos
Disney is known for milking the hell out of their properties. A character that starts in a movie will eventually get a TV show, breakfast cereal, studio album, and sequel after sequel. Marvel Studios not only milks its characters but has been accused, and rightly so, offalling into a formula. Deadpool does not fit this formula. However, he may be forced to do so unlessKevin Feige and Co. decide to use restraint and create a bit of a niche for the Deadpool character.
That is where the TVA comes in. Let Deadpool do a great job at pruning, and then make him the guy who pops into different realities and becomes their tool. He’s too independent not to realize he’s being used, so why not give him a chance to take his anger out somewhere else, utterly aware in his capacity as a fourth wall breaker that he will be a deus ex machina to be used later?
We’ve already seen theSecret Warscomic lying next to him in the trailer forDeadpool & Wolverine, so why not make him fully aware that he’s the wildcard? He’s the one who’s going to come in and kick ass. Hell, maybe he’s the one to kill Kang. Marvel probably can’t comment about certain actors and their ongoing legal issues, but perhaps Deadpool will be given a few extra lines to make it go down a bit smoother.
No matter what, Disney and Marvel need to make sure everyone knows Wade Wilson is in the wings. He doesn’t need to be front and center; he just needs to be a constant presence. You want audiences on edge as to whether one of those TVA portals will open and he will pop out and stabGalactus in theFantastic Fourmovie. It could happen.Deadpool & Wolverineis heading to theaters on August 07, 2025.
