Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy says the R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe film is a lot more heartfelt than audiences are expecting.
Levy discussed the upcoming Deadpool threequel during a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. Horowitz asked Levy just how much heart and emotion exist in Deadpool 3. “I’m gonna say this — you laugh — a fuckload more than you think,” the director replied. “One thing that Ryan [Reynolds] and I were really united in is wanting to make Deadpool 3 very much consistent and continuous with the franchise DNA, but to see where we could evolve in this third movie.”
Levy continued, “And once we knew it was a Wolverine/Deadpool movie, my god, what a gift to any storyteller. Because not only do you have two icon actors playing their most iconic roles, but you have two characters whose dynamic is already famously fraught. And any time you’re dealing with characters who start from a place of deep dislike, and conflict, and difference from each other … what a great formula for storytelling. And ultimately, the movie does have much more character, depth, and heart than I think anyone is expecting.”
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool joins the MCU
Deadpool 3 sees Reynolds’ fan-favorite Marvel character make the jump from 20th Century Fox’s now-defunct X-Men film universe to Disney and Marvel Studios‘ MCU. As Levy mentioned, fellow X-Men franchise alum Hugh Jackman is also attached to reprise his role as Wolverine.
A number of other cast members from Fox’s first two Reynolds-led Deadpool films are back as well. These include Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Stefan Kapičić as Colossus, and Rob Delaney as Peter. Newcomers include Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen.
Additionally, Jennifer Garner will reprise her role as Elektra Natchios from Fox’s 2003 film Daredevil and its 2005 spin-off, Elektra. Rumors regarding similar cameos have circulated online in recent months.
Deadpool 3’s release date is up in the air
Levy signed on to helm Deadpool 3 in 2022, having previously directed Reynolds in 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy and Netflix’s The Adam Project. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick — who wrote the previous two Deadpool films — return to pen the script for the threequel alongside Reynolds, Levy, and comic book writer Zeb Wells. Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin wrote an earlier draft of the script.
Deadpool 3 was originally slated for release on September 6, 2024. The film was subsequently delayed to November 8, 2024 before being bumped up to May 3, 2024. However, the film is expected to be delayed once again due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike. Filming is said to have been halfway completed when the strike began. A new release date has not been set.
