Ryan Reynolds Leaving Disney, Unhappy With Censorship On Deadpool 3?
Ryan Reynolds is reportedly unhappy with Disney around possible censorship on Deadpool 3. He's even moved his company off the lot
This article is more than 2 years old
Ryan Reynolds looked like he’d be firmly entrenched in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for some time, maybe forever. Heck, he has one of the most popular and well-liked superhero characters going right now. He’s been able to create a new brand for the universe that expands beyond the PG-rated fare we’ve seen in the genre before. But now there are rumors Reynolds might be a little unhappy with Disney around some possible censorship for his upcoming Deadpool 3 movie. Could there be a little trouble in Marvel paradise between the actor and the studio?
The rumor around Ryan Reynolds being unhappy with Disney comes from the news that he recently moved his production company Maximum Effort off of the studio lot. He is the founder and creative director of the company, naming it off of the Deadpool catchphrase. The rumor has it that Reynolds isn’t pleased with how the company is handling the production of the upcoming, and highly-anticipated Deadpool 3. The rift appears to have been caused by the studio meddling too much in the movie and “censoring” it to a degree that doesn’t align with previous Deadpool productions.
If there was a rift between Ryan Reynolds and Disney because of the development and censorship concerns it might make a little bit of sense considering the two parties involved. This will be Reynolds’ first Deadpool movie with this studio, having done the two previous ones with 20th Century Fox before the merger. Those films were decidedly R-rated, a relative first for the superhero genre and they diverged mightily from your standard comic book fare.
Meanwhile, Disney has taken a completely opposite approach to its Marvel franchise, making sure the shows and films lined up for all audiences and keeping the films extremely family-friendly. If Ryan Reynolds wanted to keep the upcoming films more in line with his previous productions and Disney wanted to tame the production, so to speak, both would be in line with how the parties perceive the best course of action around a new film.
For what it’s worth, both types of films have been successful from both a critical and monetary perspective. The Marvel Universe continues to be an absolute cash cow with their films which regularly crush the box office. But it’s worth noting that Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool can point to their box office receipts (over $1.5 billion through two films) as proof positive that a raunchier style for comic book films works as well.
Marvel has been working with Ryan Reynolds on a Deadpool 3 script for the better part of a year now and Kevin Feige has said that the film would maintain its R-rating when it ultimately hit the big screen. So, from the outset, folks had said the right things about how the franchise would move forward. But, of course, not all R-ratings are made equally. There is a massive amount of gray area in there that could cause disagreements about what’s appropriate even within that “R” designation. Could that be where the Ryan Reynolds rift is coming from?
Ryan Reynolds is set to earn a massive payday for Deadpool 3. But beyond the money, he likely wants to maintain a certain style for his franchise which has garnered him considerable acclaim. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if Deadpool 3 can stick with what worked for previous films.
