Ryan Reynolds, star and producer of Deadpool 2, reveals the movie originally contained a particular joke about film studio Walt Disney Pictures, but 20th Century Fox made him cut it. The first Deadpool film hit theaters in early 2016 after languishing in development hell for about a decade. Fox was no doubt happy to have finally given it the green light because Deadpool's violent action and fourth wall-breaking humor propelled the film to box office records. In fact, it even became Fox's highest-grossing X-Men film.
As a result, it was no surprise when Fox ordered Deadpool 2, with Reynolds returning as the Merc with the Mouth along with most of the first film's cast. Comic fans are particularly excited for the sequel since it's set to introduce fan-favorite mutants Cable (Josh Brolin) and Domino (Zazie Beetz). Thanks to trailers for Deadpool 2, we've learned a great deal about the film ahead of its late May release, including who exactly is in the X-Force team Wade Wilson has assembled. Now, thanks to the film's star, we also know something about what won't be in the sequel.
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In an interview with EW, Reynolds spoke about Deadpool 2 and his contributions as co-writer along with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Reynolds revealed there's a particular joke about Disney that Fox made him remove from the film. He said:
This is a sore spot for me because there’s a joke in the movie that is not in the movie now because — I’m probably not even allowed to say this — Fox made me take it out. It had more to do with Disney, and they made me take it out. As I look back at it, I think maybe that was a wise decision.
It's unclear what exactly the joke entailed. The first Deadpool film, thanks to the titular character's habit of breaking the fourth wall, poked fun at all kinds of pop culture institutions. Plus, the Deadpool 2 trailers have joked about Thanos - also played by Brolin - and Warner Bros' DC Films Universe. However, considering Fox asked Reynolds to pull this particular joke, and we know Disney acquired Fox in a deal late last year, it probably didn't paint the Mouse House in the best light.
Of course, the deal between Disney and Fox has been the topic of much discussion among Marvel fans. It means Marvel Studios will be able to introduce the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, with the deal still needing to be approved and finalized, it may be some time before the mutants join the MCU. For Marvel's part, studio head Kevin Feige said the deal won't affect any Phase 3 films. With Marvel Studios' plans for Phase 4 still unclear, though, many believe that's when the X-Men may join the MCU. Still, fans of Fox's Marvel films have expressed concern about Deadpool keeping his R-rated tone. On this subject, Reynolds offered what he could:
I really genuinely don’t know a thing about it. I read that [chairman and CEO] Bob Iger felt that there’s plenty of room in that universe to have a rated-R character like Deadpool. This is completely conjecture on my part, but I wouldn’t imagine that Disney bought Fox to dismantle it or something like that. I think that Disney bought Fox so it could have that in its arsenal.
Hopefully Reynolds' comments will give fans some hope about the future of the Merc with the Mouth. According to the actor-producer the Deadpool franchise is heading more toward X-Force than Deadpool 3, but considering how popular the character is, he'll likely stick around Hollywood for many years. For now, though, moviegoers will soon get to see Wade Wilson back on the big screen in Deadpool 2.
Next: Could X-Men Be the Key to Marvel’s Phase 4 Movies?
Source: EW
