If Deadpool 3 Can’t Save The MCU, Then It’s Truly Endgame

Since 2016, Deadpool has risen out of comic-book obscurity to become something of a movie icon and has been embraced by MCU diehards and casual cinema-goers alike, which is quite a feat. Now, deep in the already problematic rabbit hole of the MCU’s Multiverse with no way of surfacing, I look ahead to 2024’s Deadpool 3 as the light at the end of Marvel’s mediocre tunnel, and one that will hopefully save us all.

I know, I know, that’s a lot of pressure for a single movie, but it is possible. Just look at the current world we live in. While riding the train the other day, I saw a kid wearing a Deadpool t-shirt. Bizarre. How could he possibly know about this regenerating X-Men deviant? Did he read the comics? Did he somehow manage to trick his parents into letting him watch the movie? All explanations were plausible, but not the point. Deadpool is a symbol now and has markedly superseded his comic-book roots to become one of the most recognizable figures in the film world. Also, it really helps that his movies were really, really funny.

The two Deadpool films pulled off superb balancing acts of action, comedy, and splashes of human drama, but they really excelled when the titular character winked right at the audience. Hands down my favorite scene was at the end of Deadpool 2, when Wade Wilson uses Cable’s time-traveling device to hilariously alter his own timeline, resulting in the murder of real-life Ryan Reynolds as he holds the script for Green Lantern. Self-deprecating meta genius. Years later, the joke still stands, which is a testament to both the films’ writing and the commitment of Reynolds, who, really, is at the center of all this.

Reynolds and Deadpool may as well be synonymous with each other at this point. Unlike Christian Bale’s Batman, there’s no attempt to mask the vocal delivery or cadence. It’s just everyone’s favorite witty Canadian in a red and black suit. But despite Deadpool’s notoriety, Reynolds has never cashed in on his character, and he doesn’t need to. The man has his hands full of tons of projects ranging from co-owning a soccer team, acquiring a mobile phone company and, most notably, owning Aviator gin. With each entrepreneurial move, Reynolds has maintained his trademark sense of humor, especially when dealing with fellow Marvel heavyweight Hugh Jackman.

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Ever since Reynold’s real-life fictional feud with Jackman, a.k.a Wolverine, my fingers had been crossed in hopes of some kind of crossover. Deadpool 2’s ending sequence planted these seeds, and now, from stills and the initial Deadpool 3 teaser, we’re finally getting our wish. The sight of the cantankerous Weapon X sporting his legendary yellow suit next to Reynold’s Deadpool was enough for this grown man to let out of squeal in his own living room. On top of that, rumors are floating that Jennifer Garner’s forgotten Marvel role, Elektra, will also get some screen time. It’d be super cool to see her brought back after 18 years, but after my excitement over that news tampered, I became a bit worried about a certain…mouse.

You know the one—“The-Mouse-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, a.k.a. Disney. After that media juggernaut acquired the rights to Marvel and all of its past, present, and future IP, I began to immediately fret about the possibility of another Deadpool movie. Indeed, after adding Deadpool 1 and 2 to the Disney+ canon in 2022, Deseret News reported that Disney was immediately hit with a wave of pushback from The Parents Television Council claiming that Disney had “broken a promise” by allowing R-rated content to pollute its family streaming channel (My take: Stop whining and just set some parental controls then!). Doesn’t bode well, but that’s just one minor headache for the mouse though.

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The success of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was an appropriate parting gift for the long-time Marvel director, but a new dawn is coming. Now that Gunn has parted ways with Disney, he’s unveiled his plan for getting the DC universe back on track, and there are no qualms about R-ratings or pandering to any organizations, individuals, or groups. I mean, I’m not expecting he’ll make us sit through a “Wonder Woman Does Dallas” or anything like that, but there won’t be the same impediments that plague Disney when deciding whether to back a project or not based on the “F” word.

To be honest, I have Disney+, but it’s kinda whatever, man. I’ve got no intention of seeing Sammy L. Jackson’s new Secret Invasion, She-Hulk, or Hawkeye, and with Sony still holding on to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home, I can only watch Thor: Ragnarok so many times. I don’t care about The Marvels or the upcoming Fantastic Four remake, and I can’t stomach another Avengers movie. In general, the formula of Marvel movies is becoming way too predictable for me, even though I know it’s not entirely their fault.

Movies based on comics will always be destined to fall into a handful of certain tropes. They weren’t designed to be three-dimensional Coen Brother’s films; not traditional comics anyway. Deadpool has never been a conventional Marvel character, ergo movies based on his character are free to go in any direction Reynold wishes—as long as Disney agrees. That being said, there’s a lot riding on the success of Deadpool 3. For our sake and the MCU, I hope that the Merc with a Mouth and The Mouse can work together to bring some well-needed chimichanga spice to Marvel’s bland mix.

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