Despite “Deadpool & Wolverine” grossing $1.338 billion, star Ryan Reynolds has remained adamant that there will be no more solo films for the Merc with a Mouth. But that isn’t to say the foul-mouthed superhero won’t show up elsewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While his focus is on writing the upcoming Paramount comedy “Boy Band,” he is starting to explore a team-up with the X-Men, too.
This potential project isn’t to be confused with the other potential X-Men film from Michael Lesslie (“Hunger Games”).
Reynolds has been working up various treatments for an ensemble film pairing Deadpool with three or four X-Men characters. He would still be playing the part of Deadpool, but in a supporting role.
This move also backs up his desire to be behind the camera more than in front of it. “I’m more passionate about storytelling than I am about acting,” Reynolds told The Hollywood Reporter last year. “If I win, great. If I lose, I get to also feel like I was the architect of my own demise.”
Which X-Men?
The actor/writer/producer believes that moving the sarcastic anti-hero to the background will allow the X-Men to be used in unexpected ways.
There is no word on which characters he may choose. However, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Professor X (James McAvoy), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Colossus (Stefan Kapičić), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and Juggernaut (Reynolds) appear in the first two “Deadpool” films. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Pyro (Aaron Stanford), Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), Toad (Daniel Medina Ramos), Lady Deathstrike (Jade Lye), Azazel (Eduardo Gago Muñoz), X-23 (Dafne Keen), and Gambit (Channing Tatum) are in the third film.
So it’s anyone’s guess who will come back, or if Reynolds will decide to throw in some fresh faces.
“His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated,” Reynolds said about Deadpool’s motivation. “But he can’t be accepted. His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
We’ll keep you posted on updates about this project as it develops.
