Those worried that Disney might scrap theDeadpoolfranchise after swallowing up 20th Century Fox can breathe easy. Fox carved out a solid crop of competitors to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe films by greenlighting movies that the MCU couldn’t, like the R-ratedDeadpoolandLogan. Those movies were massive successes and in the case ofDeadpoolspawned a new franchise, but Disney’s purchase of Fox put into question the future of the superhero comedy series.
But inan interviewonLive with Kelly and Ryan(viaComicBook),Deadpoolstar, producer, and co-writerRyan Reynoldsconfirmed thatDeadpool 3is in development at Marvel Studios:
“Yeah yeah, we’re working on [Deadpool 3] right now with the whole team. We’re over at Marvel now, which is like the big leagues all of a sudden. It’s kinda crazy. So yeah, we’re working on it.”
“The whole team,” one assumes, is Reynolds and screenwritersRhett ReeseandPaul Wernick, who wrote many drafts of the firstDeadpoolin an effort to finally get the movie made and returned forDeadpool 2. What’s up in the air is who might directDeadpool 3, sinceDeadpooldirectorTim Millerexited the sequel over creative differences andDavid Leitchseems like he’s moved on to a number of other films at this point.
Also up in the air is how Deadpool fits into the MCU, but Disney CEOBob Igerpreviously maintained that theDeadpoolfranchise would remain R-rated. The fourth-wall-breaking nature of the character makes his slotting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe easier than, say,Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, who would bring with him baggage and the retroactive canonizing of all the previousX-Menmovies. Marvel Studios headKevin Feigeintends to reboot theX-Menfranchise, and it’s not hard to see Deadpool fitting in with a single joke poking fun at continuity and/orJames McAvoy, then moving right along to accepting this rebootedX-Menas MCU canon.
I’m sure we’ll hear 3when Marvel Studios unveils its further plans, but for now Phase Four is about to get underway withBlack WidowandEternalshitting theaters in 2020 followed by the sequelsThor: Love and ThunderandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessin 2021 alongside new franchiseShang-Chi.
