Deadpool 3 Bringing Back Original X-Men Characters?
In our exciting era, where superhero movies increasingly traverse boundaries and smash through fourth walls, perhaps it’s unsurprising that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will feature heavily in upcoming Deadpool 3. But will other X-Men favorites? The director of this latest Deadpool installment, Shawn Levy, potentially hinted as much in a recent interview with Total Film Magazine.
“Deadpool and Wolverine are iconic Marvel characters; more specifically, iconic Marvel-of-the-Fox-era characters,” Levy said. “We’re not going to pretend: ‘Oh, we snap our fingers, and suddenly that Fox legacy doesn’t exist, and it shaped a lot of what we now know as the MCU.’ […] there’s a lot of history there, and there’s a lot of Marvel history at Fox. And certainly that’s a part of our storytelling.”
It’s not the only exciting development afoot concerning the upcoming Ryan Reynolds film as the MCU readies itself to take another bold step: the upcoming chapter in the Deadpool universe will mark MCU’s first-ever R-rated film.
In the (ultimately futile) hope to stave off bankruptcy in the late 1990s, Marvel parted with X-Men’s film rights, selling them to 20th Century Fox.
Moreover, if the recent revelations from the Deadpool 3 director, Shawn Levy, are anything to go by, fans are in for a thrilling, nostalgic experience that pushes the MCU into new territory while also honoring its complex history with 20th Century Fox Studios.
MCU devotees might not recall that the cinematic saga of Marvel’s mutant superheroes features a historic and somewhat complex relationship with various Hollywood studios.
In the (ultimately futile) hope to stave off bankruptcy in the late 1990s, Marvel parted with X-Men’s film rights, selling them to 20th Century Fox. Under the Fox banner, the X-Men, led by Jackman-as-Wolverine, stormed box offices and won a global audience.
What’s more, Fox later launched the hugely popular Deadpool franchise. Fast forward to 2019, and Disney purchased Fox, meaning both the X-Men and Deadpool franchises were in the MCU fold.
“Deadpool and Wolverine are iconic Marvel characters; more specifically, iconic Marvel-of-the-Fox-era characters. We’re not going to pretend: ‘Oh, we snap our fingers, and suddenly that Fox legacy doesn’t exist, and it shaped a lot of what we now know as the MCU.’ […] there’s a lot of history there, and there’s a lot of Marvel history at Fox. And certainly that’s a part of our storytelling.”
-Shawn Levy, Deadpool 3 director
Thankfully, according to Levy, Deadpool 3 will celebrate the franchise’s origin story with Fox. The director recently verified that the upcoming release would pay an understandable tribute to its original studio. Both Deadpool and Wolverine will co-star in a thrilling merger of two beloved superhero canons in a film outwardly acknowledging the underlying legacy of Fox in developing the Deadpool landscape.
Further intrigues abound. Look no further than the recently leaked photos from Deadpool 3’s set, teasing the infamous “Void” from Disney+’s Loki series, featuring an enormous 20th Century Fox logo forged from the sand.
Understandably, Levy was less than thrilled about the leak, but admitted the captured images underline how the iconic Fox era not only contributed to the careers of mainstays Reynolds and Jackman–but, more holistically, the very spirit of MCU.
Even though the newest chapter in Deadpool is (as of now) slated for release on May 3, 2024, we should prepare for delays. The ongoing, no-end-in-sight WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes could postpone the press and the film’s release.
Rumors continue to swirl and stir that other X-Men favorites will feature alongside Deadpool and Wolverine–namely, aforementioned Storm. Halle Berry recently treated Twitter to a new hairstyle, leaving fans buzzing about the prospect of her reprising her role in Deadpool 3.
Still, whether X-Men and Deadpool fans like it, they will probably have to play the infamous waiting game. Even though the newest chapter in Deadpool is (as of now) slated for release on May 3, 2024, we should prepare for delays. The ongoing, no-end-in-sight WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes could postpone the press and the film’s release.
This, however, does not stop anticipation for Deadpool 3 from being veritably sky-high. This excitement is all the more feverish given the potential involvement of original and well-loved X-men stars and the intriguing storytelling capacities their entries introduce.
Until the actual release date–whenever that is–one thing remains clear: the film will honor and celebrate Fox’s X-Men legacy. Even clearer, Deadpool 3 is not to be missed.
