Development on a third Deadpool film began at 20th Century Fox by November 2016, but was placed on hold after the studio was acquired by Disney in March 2019. Control of the character and Fox's X-Men film series was transferred to Marvel Studios, which began developing a new film with Reynolds. It integrates Deadpool with the MCU and retains the R rating of the previous Deadpool films, a first for the MCU. Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin joined in November 2020 as writers. Reese and Wernick returned from the previous films for rewrites by March 2022, when Levy was hired as director. They, along with Reynolds and Wells, had difficulty figuring out the film's story until Jackman decided to reprise his role as Wolverine from the X-Men films in August 2022. Several other actors from the X-Men films and other Marvel productions also returned as part of the film's multiverse story, which serves as a tribute to Fox's Marvel films. Filming began in May 2023 at Pinewood Studios in England, with additional filming in Norfolk, Los Angeles, and at Bovingdon Film Studios. Production was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but resumed in November and wrapped in January 2024. The title was revealed a month later. Rob Simonsen composed the original score, while numerous artists were compiled for the soundtrack.
In 2018, after Wade Wilson uses Cable's time-travel device to prevent the death of his girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle,[a] he travels from his universe, Earth-10005,[b] to Earth-616 on the "Sacred Timeline",[c] hoping to join that reality's Avengers. However, he is rejected by Happy Hogan and returns to his universe. Six years later, Wade has broken up with Vanessa, retired from being the masked mercenary Deadpool, and works as a used-car salesman with his friend and former X-Force member Peter Wisdom.
During Wade's birthday party, the Time Variance Authority (TVA) captures him and takes him to Mr. Paradox, who explains that they are an organization outside of time that monitors the Sacred Timeline and wider multiverse, and offers Wade a future on Earth-616. Wade initially accepts, but when Paradox reveals that Wade's timeline is deteriorating as a result of the death of its stabilizing "anchor being", Logan,[d] and that he plans to use a "Time Ripper" device to accelerate this process, Wade steals his TemPad and uses it to travel to Logan's grave, hoping to resurrect him and save the timeline. When this fails, Wade travels the multiverse searching for a replacement alternate universe "variant" of Logan.
Wade returns to the TVA with a Logan variant but is told by Paradox that an anchor being cannot be replaced, and that this variant is considered "the worst Wolverine" in the multiverse. When Wade deduces that Paradox is acting without the knowledge of his superiors, Paradox sends Wade and Logan to the Void. Logan agrees to work with Wade when he claims that the TVA can change his timeline. Wade and Logan are captured alongside Johnny Storm and taken to Cassandra Nova, the powerful and sadistic twin sister of X-Men leader Charles Xavier. Cassandra, who made a deal with the TVA to oversee the Void, kills Johnny and leaves Wade and Logan to be consumed by Alioth, but the pair manage to escape.
Logan and Wade meet a Deadpool variant called "Nicepool" who directs them towards a resistance group that have been fighting Cassandra. On the way, Wade accidentally admits that he was lying about the TVA being able to fix Logan’s timeline, and the pair fight until both are left unconscious. They are found by the resistance group, consisting of Laura, Elektra, Blade, and Gambit. Wade proposes an alliance to fight Cassandra, and Laura convinces Logan, distraught over his reluctance that led to the death of his fellow X-Men, to join the cause. The resistance members distract Cassandra's henchmen while Wade and Logan block her powers by placing Juggernaut's helmet on her head. Cassandra is betrayed by her follower Pyro on behalf of Paradox, and almost dies until Logan convinces Wade to remove the helmet. Cassandra heals herself and opens a portal to Earth-10005, which Logan and Wade jump through.
Cassandra learns about Paradox's Time Ripper from Pyro, kills him, and follows Logan and Wade to Earth-10005. There, she reveals her plan to destroy all timelines, leaving only the Void. Cassandra summons an army of Deadpool variants, who kill Nicepool and battle Wade and Logan until Peter arrives and distracts them. Paradox tells Wade and Logan that while one of them could destroy the Time Ripper by disrupting its power flow, this would kill them, even with their healing powers. Wade and Logan destroy the Time Ripper together, killing Cassandra in the process, and are able to survive by sharing the burden. Paradox is arrested by the TVA's Hunter B-15, who congratulates Wade and Logan and says their actions have stopped Earth-10005 from deteriorating. Wade asks Hunter B-15 to save the resistance group from the Void and change the history of Logan's world. She explains that the latter is not possible because Logan's history is what led to him being a hero now, and allows Logan to stay in Wade's world. Wade invites Logan to meet his friends and, with encouragement from Logan, reconciles with Vanessa.
Cast
Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool: A wisecracking mercenary from Earth-10005 with accelerated healing but severe scarring over his body after undergoing an experimental regenerative mutation to treat terminal cancer.[6] Wade begins the film retired from being Deadpool, no longer dating Vanessa, and working as a used car salesman.[7] Writer Rhett Reese described Deadpool as a fish-out-of water in the film, a lunatic dropped into the "sane world" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[8] Though Reynolds said the audience did not have to take Deadpool seriously, particularly with his fourth wall breaking and unreliable narration, he wanted them to be invested in the other characters.[9] Deadpool's opening dance number was performed by Nick Pauley, who is credited as "Dancepool".[10][11] Reynolds also portrays the variant Nicepool, who has no scars or healing factor, for which he is credited as "Gordon Reynolds".[5][12]
Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine: A former member of the X-Men and a mutant with healing abilities, retractable claws, and an adamantium-infused skeleton.[13] This Wolverine is a variant from an alternative universe where he let down its inhabitants.[7][14] This, and the pairing with Deadpool, allowed Jackman to explore new aspects of the character not developed in his prior appearances in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series.[9][15] Jackman said Logan and Wade are opposites and have a "quarreling dynamic",[16] while director Shawn Levy said their relationship is affected by both characters being "haunted with regret".[9] To prepare for the role, Jackman began a vigorous workout routine that included eating up to 8,000 calories a day.[17] Jackman also portrays several other Wolverine variants in the film, including: one with the character's comic book-accurate height of 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm); Wolverine's gambling alter-ego Patch, who wears an eyepatch and a white tuxedo; an Old Man Logan variant; a variant being crucified on a giant X, reminiscent of the cover of Uncanny X-Men #251; a variant wearing the brown and tan costume from comic book artist John Byrne who fights the Hulk, as the character did in his first appearance in the Incredible Hulk comics; and an Age of Apocalypse variant with "glam rock-like" hair, one hand, and a black and red costume.[18]
Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova: A mutant in the Void with telekinetic and telepathic powers, who is the twin sister of Charles Xavier.[19][20]: 10:43–10:51 Corrin was excited to play a villain in the film as they had not played many villainous roles before.[21] Corrin took inspiration from Christoph Waltz's character Hans Landa in the film Inglourious Basterds (2009), while Reynolds highlighted Corrin's humanization and the motivation of the character, comparing Cassandra's "mischief, danger, [and] unpredictability" to the energy of actor Gene Wilder.[22] Reynolds and Levy explained Cassandra to Corrin as someone who would endear and charm others to the point that "you are going to be best friends for life" only to realize she could easily kill them.[7] Corrin was interested in having a physical transformation for the role but was told by the studio that this was not required for the character.[23] Corrin also wanted to pay homage to Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy's performances as Xavier in previous X-Men films, as well as be faithful to Cassandra's relationship with him from the comics.[24]
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Paradox: A Time Variance Authority (TVA) agent who oversees an unsanctioned project to speed up the death of Earth-10005 with a "Time Ripper" machine. Paradox hopes to prove himself to become the leader of the TVA.[5]
Returning Marvel characters, and actors who had previously portrayed them, form the resistance group in the Void: Dafne Keen as Laura / X-23, Logan's biological daughter, from Logan (2017);[31][38]Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios, a skilled fighter who uses a pair of sai weapons, from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005);[39][38]Wesley Snipes as Eric Brooks / Blade, a half-vampire warrior, from New Line Cinema's Blade film trilogy (1998–2004); and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, a member of the Fantastic Four who can control flames and set himself ablaze, from Tim Story's Fantastic Four duology (2005-2007).[38] Additionally, Channing Tatum joins them as Remy LeBeau / Gambit, the character he was attached to portray in an unproduced Gambit film.[38] Keen rewatched Logan to help prepare for her return as Laura after seven years, and was eager to explore an older version of the character who now has a better understanding and appreciation of what Logan went through in Logan.[31] Snipes worked out to be "Blade-ready" for the film. After struggling with Reynolds's humor when the pair co-starred in Blade: Trinity (2004), Snipes said he finally understood it within the context of Deadpool & Wolverine which made it an enjoyable experience.[40] Evans, who previously portrayed Steve Rogers / Captain America in the MCU (as referenced in Deadpool's dialogue in this film), said Marvel Studios was more relaxed about creating Johnny's costume, which is a rundown version due to the character living in the Void, compared to the process for the Fantastic Four films.[41]
After the success of Deadpool (2016), 20th Century Fox began developing two sequels. The third film was set to include the superhero team X-Force.[61]Deadpool director Tim Miller chose not to return for the sequels due to creative differences with star Ryan Reynolds, and David Leitch was hired to direct Deadpool 2 (2018) in November 2016. Fox was looking for another filmmaker to develop the third film.[62] In March 2017, Deadpool and Deadpool 2 co-writer Rhett Reese said X-Force would be introduced in Deadpool 2 before starring in a planned spin-off film that would launch "something bigger", separate from the third Deadpool film, which would be more personal.[63] When the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney was announced in December 2017, the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said Reynolds's Wade Wilson / Deadpool would be integrated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This was despite those films being rated PG-13 and the Deadpool films being R-rated.[64] Iger said Disney was willing to make R-rated Deadpool films "as long as we let the audiences know what's coming" and said a "Marvel-R brand" could be created for characters like Deadpool.[65] In May 2018, Reynolds said a third Deadpool film may not be made due to the shift of focus to X-Force.[66] Reese and his writing partner Paul Wernick said a third film would happen after Reynolds took a break from the character and the X-Force film was released, similar to the MCU crossover film The Avengers (2012) being released between Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013).[67]
At the end of May 2018, Leitch expressed interest in returning for another Deadpool film, depending on the schedule.[68] A third Deadpool film was believed to be in active development by that August, with production planned to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, rather than in Vancouver, Canada, where the previous films were made.[69]Once Upon a Deadpool, a PG-13 version of Deadpool 2, was released at the end of the year. It was watched carefully by Disney and Marvel Studios to see how it might inform their approach to the character in the MCU.[70] While promoting Once Upon a Deadpool, Reynolds confirmed that a third Deadpool film was in development and said it would go in a "completely different direction".[71] Reynolds later revealed that they were considering a road trip film styled after Rashomon (1950) featuring Hugh Jackman's X-Men film series character Logan / Wolverine.[72]Karan Soni, who portrayed Dopinder in the first two Deadpool films, reiterated these plans and explained that the film would have focused on Deadpool trying to save Christmas by going on a road trip to the North Pole.[73] Jackman had himself envisioned a team-up film with Reynolds inspired by 48 Hrs. (1982) while attending a screening of Deadpool in 2016, but chose to retire from the role of Wolverine after Logan (2017).[74] In March 2019, Disney officially acquired Fox and gained the film rights to several Marvel Comics characters for Marvel Studios, including Deadpool and the X-Men.[75][76] The Marvel-based films that Fox had been developing were placed "on hold".[77]
Josh Brolin, who portrayed Cable in Deadpool 2 and Thanos in the MCU, said in June 2019 that he had discussed his future as Cable with Marvel Studios.[78] In October, Zazie Beetz said she would be surprised if she did not reprise her Deadpool 2 role of Domino in a future film.[79] That month, Reese and Wernick said they and Reynolds were taking a "much-needed rest from Deadpool" while they waited to hear from Marvel Studios about the franchise's future. They confirmed that another Deadpool film would be made, that it would be R-rated like the previous films, and that it would integrate the character with the MCU. Wernick said there was never a set pitch for a third Deadpool film between their exhaustion following Deadpool 2 and the announcement of Fox's acquisition by Disney. Reese said they now had to "land on the right idea and once we do, I think we'll be off to the races". The writers felt there would be more characters available in the MCU to act as foils for Deadpool compared to their restricted options among the characters that Fox had control over for the previous films.[80]
Development
Reynolds revealed in mid-October 2019 that he was meeting with Marvel Studios.[81] At that time, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was unsure how to integrate Deadpool into the MCU and was still thinking about how the X-Men and mutants in general would be added to the franchise. Feige described Reynolds as an "idea machine" who pitched many different approaches for the film,[82] including a low budget road trip film with Deadpool and Dopinder that was compared to independent films from the Sundance Film Festival,[7] and one that included a dance number with Wolverine set to "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John.[83] Reynolds also pitched his previous idea for a Rashomon–style team-up film with Wolverine, which would tell one story from three different perspectives.[7][82] He was told that it would not be possible to include Wolverine in the film.[74][82] In December, Reynolds confirmed that the "whole team" was actively developing a Deadpool film at Marvel Studios.[84]
Reynolds and Marvel Studios met with potential writers throughout October 2020, including Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin whose pitch was in line with their intentions for the film. The Molyneux sisters were hired to write the screenplay the next month. Reynolds and Marvel Studios were open to Leitch returning for the film, but he was not expected to due to other commitments throughout 2021 and was not involved in hiring the writers.[6] Leitch later confirmed that he met with Marvel for the film, but both parties understood that scheduling and other commitments would prevent him from returning.[85] In January 2021, Feige reaffirmed that the film would receive an R rating and would be set in the MCU. Reynolds was supervising the scripting process at that time, and Feige said filming would not begin until after 2021 due to Reynolds's busy schedule.[86] An idea that Reynolds had in 2020 or 2021 was an action sequence set to the song "Like a Prayer" by Madonna. It was intended to follow the death of Piotr Rasputin / Colossus from the previous films, which would have motivated Deadpool after being at a low point.[87]
Director Shawn Levy at CinemaCon in April 2024, where he promoted the film
While filming The Adam Project (2022) with director Shawn Levy, Reynolds approached Levy about working together on the next Deadpool film after they had become frequent collaborators. Reynolds assumed Levy would not be interested due to it being a sequel and not an original work, but Levy was enthused about the idea as long as they had the right story to tell.[9] In July 2021, Reynolds and Taika Waititi promoted their film Free Guy (2021), also directed by Levy, by appearing as Deadpool and Waititi's MCU character Korg, respectively, in a commercial for that film titled Deadpool and Korg React. Deadpool, who often breaks the fourth wall, discusses joining the MCU with Korg in the commercial.[88][89] The next month, Reynolds said he expected filming to begin in 2022,[90] which Feige soon confirmed. Feige added that Marvel Studios had a release timeframe in mind for the film.[91] In November, Beetz and Rob Delaney expressed interest in returning as their Deadpool 2 characters Domino and Peter,[92][93] but Beetz ultimately did not return for the third film.[94] Also in November, Reynolds said they were "plugging away" at the film.[95]
Levy was revealed to be directing the film in March 2022,[96][97] and said filming would not begin until after 2022 due to his busy schedule through the remainder of the year.[98] Reese and Wernick were hired to rewrite the screenplay,[96][97] and said they were excited to use MCU elements in the film. They added that Disney and Marvel were supportive of jokes about the MCU that they were writing for Deadpool given the success of the previous films. They would not confirm whether they were starting from scratch or reworking the previous draft by the Molyneux sisters.[99] In June, Raymond Chan was revealed to be the production designer after working on the Disney+ MCU series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).[100] Feige said in July that the film would be elevated from the first two in a similar way to other third installments of MCU film series, such as Captain America: Civil War (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).[101]
Levy and Reynolds worked on the script with Reese, Wernick, and Zeb Wells,[9] who previously worked on the MCU series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and Marvel Zombies (2024), and the film The Marvels (2023).[102][103] They all began to feel that they did not have an original story that was not derivative of the other Deadpool films. Levy explained that they felt the film had to be "deserving" of being the first Deadpool film set within the MCU, while still feeling "grounded because this is an earthbound, gritty, realistic superhero franchise". Levy and Reynolds were prepared to suggest to Feige that the film not move forward at that time because of the trouble they had landing on a story idea,[9] with executive producer Wendy Jacobson also stating that Marvel was struggling to settle on a core idea for the film.[82] In August 2022, Jackman reached out to Reynolds about wanting to be part of the film. Reynolds was preparing for a meeting with Feige to discuss how to proceed given their lack of story ideas, and realized that including Wolverine would solve many of the issues they were coming up against.[9][74] Jackman had a change of heart, after being content with his decision to retire as Wolverine for several years, and decided that a team-up film with Reynolds "could be so much fun; I'll probably have more fun on that movie than anything I've ever done".[16][74] Feige advised Jackman not to return, as he felt Wolverine's death in Logan was the "greatest ending in history" and did not want to undo that. He was won over by the idea that Jackman would portray a new version of Wolverine, and Jackman confirmed that he wanted to return after taking a long drive to think about it.[15]
Reynolds announced in September 2022 that Jackman would return as Wolverine for Deadpool 3, which was set for release on September 6, 2024.[13] The pair said the film would avoid affecting the events of Logan by using a narrative device from Marvel Studios that allowed different versions of characters to move around timelines.[104][105] Levy said preserving Logan's legacy was top priority for the creative team.[9] Jackman reached out to Logan director James Mangold to inform him of the film's story and said Mangold was both enthusiastic about the idea and relieved that Logan would not be impacted.[16] Alongside Feige, Reynolds and Levy produced the film through their respective production companies Maximum Effort and 21 Laps Entertainment,[106][107][108] as did X-Men film producer Lauren Shuler Donner.[109]Simon Kinberg served as an executive producer after producing the previous Deadpool films and some X-Men films.[110][111][112] He said the film had been authored by Levy, Reynolds, and Feige, and they all cared deeply about Logan, Deadpool, and Wolverine.[111] Levy added that the legacies of Deadpool and Wolverine informed the film's story and themes.[7] Jackman said the film may not be titled Deadpool 3,[74] with Reynolds later referring to it as "The Deadpool/Wolverine film",[113] and Jackman referring to it as Wolverine and Deadpool.[114] Levy said the creative team were discussing multiple options for the title, and he had at times referred to it as Deadpool Versus Wolverine, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Deadpool 3 with Wolverine.[115] The title Deadpool & Friend, which Reynolds claimed was the official title, leaked online in February 2024. After a negative fan response to the title, a different title was officially announced the next day: Deadpool & Wolverine.[116][117] Levy acknowledged that the film was the third Deadpool film but he did not want to call it Deadpool 3 because it is a "two-hander character adventure" that focuses on both title characters.[118] Despite this, Reynolds said the film was tonally still a Deadpool film, with violence, swearing, and "meta mayhem". He called it "the most Deadpool movie in the history of Deadpool".[119]
Pre-production
Pre-production work began by October 2022,[120] less than two months after Jackman decided to join the film. Jacobson said this was one of the fastest turnarounds she had seen for a big production.[82] Filming was expected to begin in January 2023 in Vancouver.[121] In mid-October, the film's release date was pushed back to November 8, 2024.[122] Reynolds said the next month that filming would begin in mid-2023,[123] and Levy confirmed in December that filming was set to begin that May. He said developing the film was one of the most fun creative experiences of his career, citing the film's self-awareness, violence, and foul language.[124] Levy said he did not want to alter the franchise's DNA from the prior films and called the new film "raw, audacious, [and] very much R-rated", comparing it to the buddy comedy films Midnight Run (1988), 48 Hrs., and Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).[125]
Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (left) and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (right) in the film. Reynolds's costume was updated from the previous Deadpool films,[133] while Jackman wore a comic-accurate Wolverine costume for the first time.[134]
Graham Churchyard and Mayes C. Rubeo were the film's costume designers.[135] Jackman wears a yellow and blue costume similar to Wolverine's costumes from X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) and the comic books,[134][136] specifically Astonishing X-Men volume 3 (2004–2013) drawn by John Cassaday;[137] it also features elements of the character's 1970s design by John Romita Sr. and Dave Cockrum and the 1990s design by Jim Lee.[138] Jackman did not wear a comics-accurate costume in the X-Men film series, though it was referenced in X-Men (2000) and a deleted scene from The Wolverine (2013).[134] The film was therefore an opportunity to see Jackman in a comics-accurate costume for the first time,[15] and Levy felt this could be the last chance for Jackman to wear such a costume. They went through several iterations and fittings to get the suit right.[139] Jackman said putting the suit on "looked so right [and] felt so right" and he questioned why he had not worn such a costume for the previous X-Men films.[15] An early reveal of the costume was met with positive reactions online,[138][140][141][142] and led some commentators to determine that Jackman was portraying a different iteration of the character in the film from the one he portrayed in the X-Men films.[141][143] Reynolds also has an updated costume from the previous Deadpool films,[136] featuring a brighter shade of red and larger black circles on his mask. This is reminiscent of the character's comic book design from the 1990s.[133] Levy was pleased with the "overwhelmingly positive" response to the suit designs.[139]
Filming
Principal photography began on May 22, 2023, in London and at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England,[144][145][146] under the working titleTidal Wave.[147]George Richmond served as the cinematographer after working with Levy and Reynolds on Free Guy.[148] Reynolds lobbied Marvel Studios to film in Vancouver, where he is from and the previous Deadpool films were made, but conceded that "they have their [established] infrastructure, and you just have to sort of fall in line".[149] However, a United States Copyright Office filing for the film indicated that some filming did occur in Vancouver.[150] Levy worked with Marvel Studios and the producers of the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–present), on which he was an executive producer, to allow him to direct for that series' final season since the schedules for the two projects were expected to overlap.[151][152] Filming was not expected to be impacted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that began in early May, outside of Reynolds being unable to contribute to the script during filming as he had done for the previous films. Marvel Studios was reportedly planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during the film's already scheduled reshoots.[153] The film was shot on location where possible, to create a more grounded feeling than can be achieved with soundstages.[125][139][154] In June, the film's release date was moved forward to May 3, 2024.[155] Filming for a car crash scene took place in London in early July 2023.[156] Shortly after, Jennifer Garner was revealed to be appearing in the film as Elektra Natchios after portraying a version of that character in the Fox-produced film Daredevil (2003) and its spin-off Elektra (2005);[39] Garner denied her involvement.[157]
Filming with Reynolds and Jackman took place in Norfolk in early July.[158] Production was suspended on July 14 because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[159] 35 days of filming were completed before the shutdown, with another 35 days left.[125][160] Filming was set to resume following the conclusion of the dual Hollywood strikes.[125] Disney paid to keep the film's sets intact during the strike.[161] During the hiatus, Levy and Reynolds began work on the editing and visual effects,[162][161] though they had not prioritized filming major visual effects sequences before the strike.[160] Prior to the strike, Baccarin completed filming all of her scenes,[163] and Levy shot a sequence that he likened to the lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi (1983). He asked the film's stunt team to look to that scene's blocking, tempo, and framing.[164] Another key action sequence in the film is the one that Reynolds wanted to be set to Madonna's "Like a Prayer", which evolved to include Wolverine alongside Deadpool. Reynolds did not know what he would do if Madonna did not allow the song to be used.[87]
Levy acknowledged some of the casting rumors surrounding the film—including Garner appearing as Elektra, Liev Schreiber returning as Victor Creed / Sabretooth from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and Taylor Swift making a cameo appearance as Dazzler—and said some of them were true, but would not confirm which ones.[139][162] Swift was later stated to not be appearing in the film.[165][166] Levy said the characters that were included, such as Aaron Stanford reprising his role as John Allerdyce / Pyro from X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), were added as the story developed rather than being based on a wishlist of characters and cameos that the producers wanted to include.[19] They did not want cameos or "global MCU stakes" to be the focus of the film, and were able to include "deep-cut" references to Marvel's history because Deadpool can serve as a Marvel fan through his fourth wall-breaking.[7] Soni said several cameos were intended to be a surprise for the audience,[167] and added that the film was "taking full advantage of the MCU" and would feature jokes about Feige.[168]
The film, along with others that were mid-way through production at the start of the strikes, was said to be a top priority for the studios to resume production following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike.[169] In October 2023, Levy questioned if the film would be able to retain its May 2024 release date given the SAG-AFTRA strike was still ongoing at that time,[162] shortly before it was reported that the film was likely to be delayed to a date later in 2024 even if filming was able to resume by the start of that year.[170] After the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike on November 9, filming was expected to resume in London within the following two weeks before Thanksgiving.[161][171] Reynolds announced that the character Dogpool would appear in the film,[42] played by dog actorPeggy,[43] and the film's release date was pushed back to July 26, 2024.[172] Filming resumed by November 23.[173] Levy said his time editing and reviewing footage during the strikes allowed him to gain a better understanding of the film, and he was able to return to work without feeling rushed and with a focus on what was needed to complete it.[174]
In early December 2023, set photos revealed that the characters Sabretooth and Toad were appearing in the film. They resembled their appearances in the film X-Men in which they were respectively portrayed by Tyler Mane and Ray Park;[175][176][177] Mane was confirmed to be reprising his role as Sabretooth in a trailer released in June 2024,[30] while Toad was confirmed in the film's final trailer the next month,[31] portrayed by an uncredited Daniel Medina Ramos.[10] Set photos also revealed a giant 20th Century Fox logo set piece.[154] Reynolds commented shortly after about the set photo leaks, saying they created a difficult situation for the production and expressing his hope that websites would stop publishing unfinished, out-of-context leaked images to "preserve as much of that magic as possible for the finished film and the big screen".[154] He noted that the franchise is associated with leaks since the first Deadpool film was able to be made following a leak of its original test footage. Reynolds proceeded to post faux leaked images featuring Mickey Mouse, Predator, and Steve Urkel, along with various hashtags to try to alter the social media algorithm around the actual leaked photos since platforms prioritize posts from high-profile accounts.[178] Levy said the presence of paparazzi on set was a "price we're comfortable paying" as he opted to film practically rather than rely on sound stages and green screens. After photos of Reynolds and Jackman in costume were leaked, Levy decided to release an official photo to "give the world a proper introduction".[179]
Rob McElhenney, Reynolds's co-chairman of Wrexham A.F.C., visited the set to film a cameo appearance while also discussing matters for their football team given Reynolds's filming schedule. This visit was captured by the Welcome to Wrexham (2022–present) documentary series, which showed McElhenney wearing a TVA agent uniform.[180][181] The scene McElhenney appeared in was ultimately cut, with Reynolds explaining that once they began editing the scene, the sequence was not working as intended and Reynolds kept it in the film for longer than normal because of McElhenney's appearance.[60] Stunt performer David Macdonald filmed a cameo appearance as a Caucasian variant of Nick Fury—reminiscent of David Hasselhoff's portrayal of the character in the 1998 film Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., which was based on the original comic book version—but his scene was also cut from the final film.[182] At the end of December, Bona Film Group signed a deal with TSG Entertainment to invest in a slate of films, including the Deadpool franchise;[183] TSG Entertainment and 20th Century Studios both receive "in association with" credits on the film.[184][185]: 3 In early January 2024, Variety reported that the film would include several characters from prior Fox-produced Marvel films and that it was expected to take a similar approach to Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which features multiple characters from past Spider-Man films coming together.[186] Set photos at the end of the month showed Reynolds wearing a samurai-inspired Deadpool costume.[187] Principal photography, which also took place at Bovingdon Film Studios,[188]wrapped on January 24.[189] One day of filming then took place in Los Angeles to film Jon Favreau's appearance as Happy Hogan, reprising his role from previous MCU films, and to film the opening dance sequence with choreographer Nick Pauley.[87]
Post-production
The teaser trailer released in February 2024 revealed that Macfadyen was portraying TVA agent Mr. Paradox,[5][190] Randal Reeder and Lewis Tan were reprising their respective roles as Buck and Rusty / Shatterstar from the previous Deadpool films,[191][192] and Stanford was returning as Pyro.[19][26] The copyright filing for the film confirmed that Garner was appearing as Elektra and revealed Corrin's role to be Cassandra Nova.[19][150] In March, Vinnie Jones said he was asked to reprise his role as Cain Marko / Juggernaut from The Last Stand in the film, but a deal could not be agreed upon, and Jones said there was not enough budget to create the Juggernaut suit for him to wear on set.[193] Juggernaut was subsequently confirmed to appear in the film, being portrayed by Aaron W. Reed.[5] In addition to Reed's Juggernaut, there were plans to feature a female variant of the character that ultimately did not appear in the film.[194] The first official trailer was released the following month and revealed that the creature Alioth from Loki was appearing in the film, along with the characters Lady Deathstrike and Azazel. The latter two resembled Kelly Hu and Jason Flemyng, who portrayed those characters in X2 and X-Men: First Class (2011), respectively.[14] Lady Deathstrike and Azazel were played by uncredited Jade Lye and Eduardo Gago Munoz in the film.[10] Flemyng was asked to reprise his role of Azazel, but he turned it down after learning that they had already hired a stunt man.[195]
Actors reprising their roles from earlier Marvel films include Aaron Stanford as Pyro, Dafne Keen as Laura, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Wesley Snipes as Blade, and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. Channing Tatum appears as Gambit, who he was attached to star as in an unproduced film.
At the end of April 2024, Levy said he was busy finishing work on the film.[174] Early screenings of the film had taken place, which he described as "extremely, extremely promising", with the main changes coming from them being pacing adjustments.[196] He added that despite the film's multiverse connections and use of elements from other projects, such as the TVA from Loki, he did not expect audiences to do homework before watching the film and intended for it to be an entertaining experience on its own.[174] Reynolds added that they did not want the film to be set-up for future projects and Marvel never pressured them into doing so, only asking them to make "one really satisfying self-contained story".[87] Post-production was completed on June 19, 2024.[197] The next month, Favreau and Wunmi Mosaku were revealed to be reprising their MCU roles as Happy Hogan and Hunter B-15 in the film.[5][53] In late July, Reynolds revealed that there were plans for Mephisto to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, with Levy elaborating that earlier drafts of the script featured the character as the film's main antagonist before Jackman suggested using Cassandra instead.[198] Throughout the promotional tour for the Star Wars series The Acolyte in June 2024, Dafne Keen, who portrayed Laura / X-23 in Logan, stated she would not appear in the film, but was ultimately confirmed to have an appearance a month later with the film's final trailer.[31] Feige explained that Keen wanted to attend the film's premiere so Marvel decided to reveal her role in the final trailer and ensure her presence at the premiere would not be considered a spoiler.[199] Keen enjoyed keeping her role in the film a secret, taking inspiration from how Andrew Garfield had similarly lied about his appearance in No Way Home ahead of that film's release.[31]
Also appearing in the film are Wesley Snipes as Eric Brooks / Blade from New Line Cinema's Blade film trilogy (1998–2004), Chris Evans as Johnny Storm / Human Torch from Fox's Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau / Gambit, who he was attached to star as in an unproduced Gambit film for Fox.[38] Snipes was proud of his tenure as Blade, but did not believe in his chances of reprising the role. He was initially doubtful of Disney and Marvel's approval when Reynolds called him to reprise the role.[40] The inclusion of Johnny Storm was one of the early ideas for the film.[200] Reynolds approached Evans, who portrayed Steve Rogers / Captain America in the MCU from 2011 to 2019, about reprising his role as Johnny and Evans quickly agreed to appear. Evans said it was Reynolds's involvement and humor that led to him agreeing to return.[41] For Evans's expletive-filled monologue in the film's post-credits scene, Reynolds offered to use cue cards but Evans was excited to memorize the dialogue.[201] Tatum was appreciative of Reynolds's efforts to include him after believing that he would never have the chance to portray Gambit following the planned film's cancellation,[202] and Reynolds released a deleted scene online featuring Tatum's Gambit having survived the events of the film and teasing the character's potential return;[203] a version of that scene was included on the TVA monitors in the background of the film's post-credits scene.[204] A tribute to Fox's Marvel films is shown during the credits of Deadpool & Wolverine, celebrating and farewelling those films.[205]
Some of the alternate versions of Deadpool seen in the film were originally planned to be portrayed by different actors: Walker Scobell was cast as Kidpool, but as development on the film continued the actor grew past the intended age of the character, and so Scobell was replaced by Reynolds' daughter Inez as Kidpool in the film;[210][46] and Reynolds originally provided the voice for Cowboypool before Matthew McConaughey agreed to provide his voice for the character during post-production.[211] Deadpool variants that were considered for appearance in the film but ultimately scrapped include a variant that is a composite of Deadpool and Wolverine, a punk rock variant similar to the character Spider-Punk, a Mexican luchador variant, a "Grandma Deadpool", and the Ultimate Marvel variant of the character, among others.[212][213] Wolverine variants that were considered but ultimately rejected include a Weapon X variant, the Ultimate Marvel variant of the character, a Hulk variant of the character, a variant wearing the black leather uniform from the X-Men film series, a X-Babies variant, and a WildC.A.T.s/X-Men variant, among others.[214][215] Wolverine's brown and tan costume cost around $100,000 to be made.[216]Dean Zimmerman and Shane Reid edited the film,[217] while Swen Gillberg served as the visual effects supervisor.[218] Visual effects were provided by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Framestore, Base FX, Barnstorm VFX, Raynault VFX, Rising Sun Pictures, and Wētā FX.[218]
Rob Simonsen was hired to compose the film's score by mid-July 2023. He previously worked with Levy on The Adam Project (2022) and the fourth season of Stranger Things.[219] The soundtrack album, also known as Deadpool & Wolverine: Van Jamz, was released digitally by Hollywood Records on July 24, 2024, with a physical release on July 26. It includes 17 songs featured in, or inspired by, the film along with "LFG" which is Simonsen's main theme for Deadpool & Wolverine.[220][221] Simonsen's score was released digitally on July 24 with a regular album and a deluxe edition that also includes the songs from the soundtrack album.[220] An EP, titled Deadpool & Wolverine: Madonna's "Like a Prayer" EP, featuring "Like a Prayer" by Madonna as well as remixed versions of the song featured in the film, was released by Warner Records on August 9, 2024.[222][223]
Marketing
A teaser trailer for the film was released during Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024. Nick Romano from Entertainment Weekly said the trailer confirmed the film's R rating and the fact that Deadpool would be "infiltrating" the MCU.[117] Austin Goslin of Polygon also highlighted the use of MCU elements and questioned whether Reynolds was playing the same version of Deadpool as he did in the previous films, due to how happy he is at the start of the trailer.[224]Wired's Angela Wattercutter noted a sexually explicit pegging joke in the trailer, a first for the MCU. Wattercutter speculated that the film could expand upon queer themes previously explored in Loki and the MCU Thor films.[225] The trailer's inclusion of the Secret Wars (2015) #5 comic book issue was also discussed, given that Marvel Studios had announced the film Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).[226][227][228] Shortly after the trailer's premiere, Jackman posted a tongue-in-cheek jab at Reynolds with a modified logo displaying "Wolverine & Asshole".[229] The trailer had 365 million global views in its first 24 hours, surpassing the record of Spider-Man: No Way Home (355.5 million views) to become the most-viewed trailer in that time period.[109] The reported views included the 123 million Super Bowl viewers who saw a 30-second version of the trailer.[230] Reynolds and Jackman were later presented with Guinness World Records certificates commemorating the achievement during an interview on ITV's This Morning.[231]
A "silence your phones" public service announcement (PSA) with Deadpool and Wolverine opened Disney's presentation at CinemaCon in April 2024, during which Feige and Levy debuted nine minutes of footage from the film. The Hollywood Reporter said this "drew the biggest laughter" of all the presentations at the convention.[232] It included repurposed Thor: The Dark World (2013) footage of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, who is mourning the supposed death of Deadpool rather than Loki as seen in that film.[54][55] The PSA was later released publicly.[233] An official trailer debuted on April 22, set to "Like a Prayer" by Madonna.[234] A trailer released on May 20, 2024, announcing ticket pre-sales included a QR code that led to a video of Reynolds reading a disclaimer for the film.[235] At the end of the month, a special popcorn bucket for the film's theatrical release was revealed,[236] after Feige had said it would be "intentionally crude and lewd". This was inspired by the viral popcorn bucket for Dune: Part Two (2024).[237] The bucket is shaped like Wolverine's head with a "comically oversized" mouth for the popcorn or other snacks. A video reveal, set to the "Also sprach Zarathustra" fanfare which was famously used in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), shows Deadpool caressing the bucket as popcorn falls into its mouth and butter drips down its nose.[236]
A teaser released in early June revealed that the character Ladypool would appear in the film, prompting speculation about who played the role,[238] subsequently revealed to be Reynolds's wife Blake Lively.[44] Later that month, Reynolds appeared as Deadpool in a "typically irreverent video" at CineEurope to introduce 12 minutes of footage from the film.[239] The cast went on a global marketing tour for the film starting in early July. The stops included: Shanghai, where Reynolds, Jackman, and Levy attended a fan event to screen 35 minutes of the film to attendees;[240][241][242]Seoul, where the actors appeared at the 2024 Waterbomb Festival;[243]Berlin,[241] where the trio were joined by Corrin and attended the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinals match between Netherlands and Turkey;[244][245] London, where the four actors and Levy were joined by Delaney, dog actor Peggy, and executive producers Louis D'Esposito and Wendy Jacobson.[246][247] Additionally, United Kingdom music and entertainment retailer HMV temporarily altered their logo for featuring the dog Nipper at one of their stores to be Dogpool, timed to the event;[247] and Rio de Janeiro, where they visited Maracanã Stadium.[248]
Deadpool and Wolverine appeared in an ad for The Bachelorette on July 8 during the season 21 premiere, to entice the Bachelor Nation audience (the 18–49 female demographic) to see the film. The ad was from Maximum Effort, Loon Productions, and Really Original, and was directed by Oren Brimer. Reynolds also posted on social media to discuss his thoughts on the season's premiere.[249] On July 19, Deadpool and Wolverine appeared in a music video for the single "Chk Chk Boom" by the South Korean boy band Stray Kids, whose song "Slash" is included on the film's soundtrack.[250] For the Formula One2024 Belgian Grand Prix, the Alpine F1 Team—of which Reynolds is an investor—revealed Deadpool livery on July 24, which they raced in to promote the film.[251] On July 25, Reynolds, Jackman, Levy, Corrin, and Feige screened the film at San Diego Comic-Con. This included a video introduction from Uggams as Blind Al, and concluded with Reynolds bringing out the major cameo actors from the film: Keen, Garner, Evans, Tatum, and Snipes. Following the panel, a drone show was held at Petco Park that included images of Deadpool and Wolverine.[252] The July 25 episode of the television game show Press Your Luck featured Deadpool and Wolverine taking over the Whammy, the show's mascot.[253] The week after Deadpool & Wolverine's release, NSYNC altered the title for the official music video of their song "Bye Bye Bye" to say "*NSYNC - Bye Bye Bye (Official Video from Deadpool and Wolverine)" after the song's use in the film's opening credits had boosted its popularity.[254]
Deadpool & Wolverine premiered at the David H. Koch Theater in New York City on July 22, 2024.[276] It was released in France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Japan on July 24; in Spain, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia on July 25;[277] and in the United States and China on July 26,[172][278] in IMAX, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, Cinemark XD, and other premium large formats (PLMs).[112] The film was originally announced with a release date of September 6, 2024,[13] before it was pushed back to November 8 to accommodate other MCU film delays.[122] Its release was then moved forward to May 3 of that year when Disney adjusted its release calendar due to the WGA strike,[155] before settling on the July 2024 date after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended.[172] The film is part of Phase Five of the MCU.[155] The Motion Picture Association gave it an R rating, a first for the MCU.[279] In August, Levy said the film would not have a director's cut because the theatrical version was exactly the film he wanted to make. Reynolds said he previously discussed a director's cut with Levy, who refused.[280]
As of October 30, 2024[update], Deadpool & Wolverine has grossed $636.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $700.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.338 billion.[3][4] The film made $84 million from global IMAX, making it the fifth highest-grossing Marvel film in the said format.[283]
Fandango announced that ticket pre-sales for the film were the best of 2024, the franchise's best, and the best for an R-rated film on the site, while AMC Theatres announced that 200,000 people bought first-day tickets at AMC, the most sales for any R-rated film at the theater chain. The Hollywood Reporter reported that first-day ticket sales were likely around $8–9 million and felt the film would debut at over $100 million, something no 2024 film release had done by late May.[284] The Quorum, which looks at box office projections for films as early as six weeks ahead of release, conservatively projected that the film would open between $200–239 million. Deadline Hollywood noted that no R-rated film had ever opened domestically over $200 million, with the record opening for an R-rated film being the first Deadpool with $132.4 million.[285] Three weeks ahead of release, multiple tracking services projected the film would open between $160–165 million. Deadline Hollywood said Disney was expecting an opening in this range.[240] The week of its release, Deadline Hollywood projected a worldwide opening between $340–360 million. The noted increase took into consideration the substantial walk-up business observed from Latino and Hispanic moviegoers for recent films. At that point, ticket pre-sales for the U.S. and Canada stood at $35 million.[277]
On opening day in the U.S. and Canada, Deadpool & Wolverine made $96 million including $38.5 million from Thursday night previews. Both amounts were records for an R-rated film.[286][287] The film exceeded predictions for its opening weekend, grossing $211.4 million in the U.S. and Canada and $444.6 million worldwide. For the U.S. and Canada, that gave it the biggest opening of an R-rated film; the biggest opening of 2024 so far, surpassing Inside Out 2 ($154.2 million); and the 6th-biggest opening ever.[286] The film recovered its reported budget in just two days.[288] After three days of release, it became the highest-grossing R-rated Disney film, surpassing the studio's 34-year-old record previously set by Pretty Woman.[286] During the following week, it set the record for an R-rated film on a Monday with $24.4 million,[255] on a Tuesday with $25.3 million,[289] on a Wednesday with $19.3 million,[290] and on a non-preview Thursday with $18 million.[291] The film grossed $97 million in its second weekend, a drop of 53 percent and remaining in first.[292] On its third weekend, it crossed the $1 billion mark, becoming the second film to do so in 2024.[293][294] Also during the film's third weekend, Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends With Us, which featured Ryan Reynolds's wife Blake Lively, occupied the number one and two spots at the box office, a feat that had not been accomplished for a married Hollywood couple since 1990.[295][296] After 23 days in release, Deadpool & Wolverine surpassed Joker (2019) as the highest grossing R-rated film of all time.[297] The film was dethroned in its fourth weekend by newcomer Alien: Romulus,[298] but returned to the number one spot in its fifth weekend.[299]
Critical response
Some publications reported that the film was divisive,[300] while others said it opened to largely positive reviews.[301] On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, 78% of 408 critics gave the film a positive review and an average rating of 7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Ryan Reynolds makes himself at home in the MCU with acerbic wit while Hugh Jackman provides an Adamantium backbone to proceedings in Deadpool & Wolverine, an irreverent romp with a surprising soft spot for a bygone era of superhero movies."[302]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100 based on 58 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[303] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 96% positive score, with 85% saying they would definitely recommend it.[286]
IGN's Tom Jorgensen praised Jackman's return to the character. He felt slightly disappointed that Deadpool did not top the lewdness of his previous jokes from the first two films and felt the exposition was slow, but he appreciated its function as a buddy comedy.[304] Writing for Empire, Olly Richards gave the film four stars out of five. He praised the film for "do[ing] all it can to bring everyone along for the ride, including those who don't know their Professor X from their X-23".[305] Brian Lowry wrote for CNN that it showcased Marvel Studios's willingness to partake in self-deprecation, and a respect for the superhero films of the 2000s.[306] In a very positive review, Deadline Hollywood's Pete Hammond felt that the collaboration between the film's title characters, which resembled Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Midnight Run (1988), "works beyond your wildest screen-team dreams". He praised Levy's leverage of the stars, and noted that Deadpool's raunchy jokes "come [...] so rapid-fire this time, even more so than in the first two Deadpool [films]."[307]Forbes's Mark Hughes praised the film as "pure escapist entertainment, a rollicking fun time and laugh riot from start to finish, with a thin plot and little sense to it all but nobody cares because we love watching these characters together."[308]
Reviewing for Collider, Ross Bonaime wrote that with the integration of Deadpool into the larger Marvel property, the character finally started to live up to his full potential. He described the film as "far more violent, foul-mouthed, and irreverent towards its surroundings than ever before", and praised Disney's allowance for the character to be expressed unhindered.[309] The Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper, who gave the film three out of four stars, highlighted the star performances, violence, humor, and Easter eggs, which he described as more abundant than the ones "on the White House lawn on a Monday in April", though he criticized the "usual" plot and "paper-thin" story.[310]Associated Press writer Krysta Fauria said that while the genre's critics would not be won over, the film's increased focus on its self-aware genre criticism helped it find a "sweet spot" in being an improvement over its predecessors. He felt that Levy was benefited in the increased budget and that the homoerotic yet hate-filled relationship between the title characters was enticing.[311]
The San Francisco Chronicle critic Mick LaSalle opined that it could be viewed as having nothing to say, bemoaning that Deadpool could have subverted the plot were there one that he felt the audience could relate to. However, he commended the contrast between Jackman's serious performance with Reynolds's chatter, finding it amusing.[312]The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney thought that the meta jokes were "dialed up to radioactive levels" and that the critical interpretation remained largely up to what the audience wanted to get out of the film.[313] In one-star reviews for the film, Donald Clarke for The Irish Times wrote that the film is "the most relentlessly juvenile entry in a sequence that has rarely been confused with Ingmar Bergman's Faith trilogy";[314] Robbie Collin, chief film critic for The Daily Telegraph wrote that "for all the script's winking guffaws about the series' mishap-strewn detour into the multiverse, it can't relinquish its nothing-that-happens-here-actually-matters safety net."[315]
With the film's release, Reynolds said he was unsure when he would reprise his role.[87] Discussing the flash-forwards that Deadpool sees in the film, in which a dying Deadpool is held by a crying Thor, Reese said it could be ignored moving forward but he expected that the MCU would consider it to be canonical and work towards that scene appearing in full during a future project.[200]
Ugwu, Reggie (July 25, 2024). "'Deadpool & Wolverine' Reviews Are In: Amusing or Exhausting?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024. Most critics have found something to like in "Deadpool & Wolverine," which has an 81 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. They say it has a superpowered jokes-per-minute ratio and two winning performances from its lead actors. But many reviewers had a mixed-to-negative assessment of the movie overall, calling it difficult to follow, lacking in real tension or stakes and overly reliant on self-referential story lines.
^Sources reporting that the film received largely positive reviews:
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