We’re about a month away from the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine, a movie that should easily become the most successful MCU movie of the Multiverse Saga so far — other than Spider-Man, of course. Spider-Man: No Way Home raked in nearly $2 billion at the box office, so it’s doubtful that Deadpool can top it.
With Deadpool 3 about to hit theaters, I’m certainly not surprised to start seeing chatter about Deadpool 4.
Given all the hype around Deadpool 3, I’d be tempted to say that making a Deadpool 4 is a no-brainer for Marvel and Disney. Deadpool could easily become one of Marvel’s best non-Avengers franchises in the MCU.
Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy addressed the question in a new interview, saying he doesn’t know if a sequel is in the works. And he wasn’t just saying that for the sake of denying plans for Deadpool 4 involvement. Before we go any further, I’ll warn you that some spoilers might follow below.
When Deadline asked Levy about a potential return for Deadpool 4, the director almost gave the usual answer you’d expect from anyone working on a Marvel movie.
Levy denied it but with a twist. “Usually, I have to lie,” he said. “I’m waiting for the questions when I have to lie and pretend I don’t know the answer, but this one, I can sincerely say I don’t know.”
The director also made Deadpool & Wolverine sound like one of the best jobs he ever had.
“But I can, in the same breath, say, ‘Man, this thing has been the hardest, most all-consuming thing I’ve ever done,’ Levy said. “But it’s also been the most creatively gratifying. Because with Deadpool, there’s no rules. It is, in its very DNA, built on tonal audacity. So, for a filmmaker, what a delight.”
Not only that, but Levy got to work with his friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on the project, which made it even more fun. “To do it with my best friend Ryan, my other buddy Hugh, the three of us who have known each other now for a very long time, it was just a blast,” he said.
That last detail also explains why Deadpool 3 will be so popular. It’s not just Deadpool coming to the MCU, a feat that would make the movie a hit at the box office even without Wolverine’s presence. Adding Jackman’s beloved character to the movie and making him a co-protagonist while bringing Wolverine to the MCU in the process is what will make Deadpool 3 even more successful.
It’s the same trick Sony and Marvel used for No Way Home. The characters are different.
Could a Deadpool 4 be able to top that? Or would Marvel go for a Deadpool & Wolverine – Part 2 sort of thing? Because how else would you go about making this particular sequel? Well, the same Levy suggested a different team-up for Deadpool in another interview. What if Deadpool partnered with Spider-Man?
Crossovers aside, I’ll highlight the obvious Avengers problem. These movies are coming out soon, with both Deadpool and Wolverine rumored to appear in Secret Wars. Not only that but Deadpool 3 is apparently one of the key developments setting up Secret Wars. That is, we’re going to get more multiverse context for the big wars to come.
If those reports are true, there’s probably no way to have a Deadpool 4 hit theaters in time for Kang Dynasty of Secret Wars. Put differently, Marvel may have waited too long to make Deadpool 3 since announcing it in the summer of 2019.
I’ll also have to mention rumors that say the MCU will be rebooted after Secret Wars as a direct consequence of the events in those Avengers movies.
The focus of the next saga might be the MCU’s X-Men variants. That might be where we’ll get a Deadpool 4 movie in place. I’m assuming here that all the parties involved will want Ryan Reyolds’ Merc with a Mouth to keep popping up in MCU movies down the road.
Marvel will surely announce some of its plans for the MCU at Comic-Con 2024 late next month. The convention will kick off around the Deadpool 3 premiere. Could news of a sequel drop then? I wouldn’t expect it, but who knows, really?
Meanwhile, you can watch Deadline’s interview with Shawn Levy in full at this link. As for Deadpool & Wolverine, you can check the latest TV spot below.
