Ryan Reynolds believes Disney buying Fox is a good thing for Deadpool 3. While he debuted as the Merc With a Mouth in 2009's much-maligned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds' now-iconic portrayal of Deadpool didn't truly take off until his first solo movie in 2016. Deadpool was a critical and commercial success, winning fans over with its gleefully R-rated combination of raunchy humor and thrilling action. Deadpool 2, released two years ago, was also a major hit and laid the foundation for an X-Force spinoff, but since that movie came out, Deadpool's cinematic future is in a holding pattern.
That, of course, is attributed to Disney's purchase of Fox, which finally became official last year. As a result of that transaction, Deadpool is now under the Mouse House's umbrella, and it remains to be seen what the studio chooses to do with the character. Unlike the X-Men and Fantastic Four, Disney will not reboot Deadpool, but viewers are understandably wary of a pairing that doesn't seem to make much sense on-paper. However, Reynolds is looking at the possible benefits this has for Deadpool and sees Disney calling the shots as a good thing.
Speaking with Total Film (via GamesRadar) about his upcoming action-comedy Free Guy, Reynolds talked about Deadpool now being a Disney property and how he feels that will help the franchise moving forward:
"I don’t feel like an insider at all. I think once I’m more intimate with it – if we get to make a Deadpool 3… if or when we get to make a Deadpool 3, I’ll probably have a better perspective on that. But I’m a huge fan of Marvel, and how they make movies. So when Disney bought Fox, I only saw that as a good thing. Deadpool hopefully being allowed to play in that sandbox, I think is just a win for everyone involved. But we’ll certainly see."
Outside of vaguely stating new X-Men and Fantastic Four movies are in development, it's largely unknown what Marvel's plans are for the characters they inherited from Fox. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to enter its Phase 4, balancing out a full slate of films and TV shows featuring returning established superheroes (Thor: Love and Thunder) and introducing fresh faces (Eternals). Marvel has a lot on their plate right now (especially now with Hollywood shut down due to coronavirus), so it'll be interesting to see what they do with Deadpool. There's debate about whether Deadpool will be integrated into the larger MCU (in PG-13 team-ups) or remain in his own, R-rated corner of the universe in new solo movies. From the sound of things, Reynolds is hoping for something resembling the former, taking advantage of the MCU's crossover opportunities. There's no denying that would be a great deal of fun.
Late last year, Reynolds said Deadpool 3 is in development. All's been quiet on that front since then, but it's good to know Marvel doesn't appear to just be putting the character on a shelf. There's a reason Disney isn't rebooting Deadpool; the franchise is wildly successful and there's no reason to hit the reset button. What's most important is finding an approach that works best for the character. Part of the brand's appeal is its R-rating, so the filmmakers probably wouldn't want to water down the franchise. Whether that means Deadpool doesn't get to play in the sandbox or not is a topic for another day, but any movie would feel good about having Disney behind it.
Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)