When it was originally announced that Disney was purchasing Fox, and thus, Marvel Studios would gain control of the characters that were licensed out, such as those in the “X-Men” franchise, fans were excited by the prospect. But how would Marvel Studios integrate the “X-Men” characters into the MCU? Well, a full reboot, obviously. Except for one character, Deadpool. It would appear Marvel Studios is interested in keeping Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool” franchise as it exists and use the upcoming third film as a way to seemingly bridge the gap between the MCU and the Fox/“X-Men” universe. And according to the film’s director, that means honoring what has come before.
Speaking to Total Film, director Shawn Levy talked about what fans can expect with the upcoming “Deadpool 3.” Specifically, Levy wanted to make sure that fans were aware that the new film wouldn’t just pretend the legacy of the Fox “X-Men” universe never existed. Instead, “Deadpool 3” aims to honor the previous films and the universe seen for more than 20 years.
“Deadpool and Wolverine are iconic Marvel characters; more specifically, iconic Marvel-of-the-Fox-era characters,” the filmmaker explained. “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.’ Fox also shaped Ryan’s career, Hugh’s career and my career. So 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.”
While not a whole lot is known about “Deadpool 3” and how it will integrate into the MCU, we do know that Hugh Jackman joins Reynolds in the cast, reprising his role as Wolverine, the iconic character at the center of the Fox universe. And judging by leaked set pictures, it would appear that “Deadpool 3” will deal with the end of Fox quite literally, as it looked like Wolverine and Deadpool fight each other near a busted Fox logo. Many rumors also have the plot of “Deadpool 3” revolving around some sort of story where the main character destroys his own universe and then comes to the MCU. But all of that is speculation at this point.
Needless to say, it’s clear from Levy’s words that “Deadpool 3” isn’t going to shy away from referencing the films that came before it in the Fox universe. If anything, those are going to be embraced, even if this is the final time.
Production on “Deadpool 3” was interrupted by the SAG strike, but as of now, the film has a release date set for May 3, 2024.