Combining the sarcastic, profanity-laden sensibility of Deadpool with the gruff, self-serious nature of Wolverine is not an immediate match made in heaven, but when considering those two characters are played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman respectively, it becomes far more enticing.
The two are set to team up for “Deadpool 3,” and Reynolds says that while the tone of the film will be a “tightrope walk,” he thinks the chaotic blend of these two personalities will make for an incredibly satisfying meal.
“I think it’s a tightrope walk. I mean most of these movies are always a tightrope walk of tone, so in this instance, though, you have a collision of two pretty iconic characters that exist in the Marvel Ancillary Universe [laughs] — we’re in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point,” Reynolds told TheWrap during an interview about his Oscar-contending original song from the Apple TV+ film “Spirited.”
When asked what the tone of “Deadpool 3” might feel like, Reynolds ensured that audiences will get an authentic Deadpool and an authentic Wolverine in the same movie.
“It’s really kind of finding a way to service both of these characters that feels extraordinarily authentic to each of them, and I think these two wrongs actually will make a right in a pretty great way.”
While the first two “Deadpool” films were made at 20th Century Fox, “Deadpool 3” is the first to incorporate the character into Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe after Disney’s acquisition of Fox.
Given Deadpool’s proclivity for breaking the fourth wall and referencing the increasingly complicated X-Men timeline in the previous films, he seemed an obvious fit to port over into the MCU instead of rebooting the character. But fans got an extra jolt of excitement when it was announced that Jackman would reprise his role as Wolverine in the movie as well.
Jackman is co-starring in the film alongside Reynolds, but has stressed that his appearance in “Deadpool 3” doesn’t undo his character’s conclusive ending in the 2017 film “Logan” – now that there’s a multiverse in the MCU, the Wolverine that appears in “Deadpool 3” can feasibly be from a different universe. One in which he didn’t die.
The 54-year-old Jackman admitted in December that getting into shape for this film has been “a lot harder” due to his Broadway schedule.
“I’m doing eight shows a week right now, so I’m only lifting weights three times a week,” he said. “But I’ll be getting into it once or twice a day as soon as this is done in a month. And I’ll have six months to prep, and I always have the same approach every time I go in.”
“I want it to be better than ever, to be in better shape than ever, more able to do things than ever,” he added. “I just get the added incentive of taking Ryan Reynolds out each day.”
Shawn Levy, with whom Reynolds worked on “Free Guy” and the Netflix feature “The Adam Project,” is directing the third “Deadpool” movie with production due to begin this year. And yes, it’ll be rated R, marking the first R-rated MCU movie ever.
“Deadpool 3” is slated for release on Nov. 8, 2024.
