Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Deadpool 3

  • A Closer Look at Marvel Studios’ Updated Slate

    A Closer Look at Marvel Studios’ Updated Slate

    Marvel Studios made sweeping changes to their upcoming theatrical slate recently, shuffling the release dates of several projects in what looks to have been a game of dominoes. Upon closer look, however, it seems possible that the last domino hasn’t fallen yet.

    2023

    Phase 5 begins! Outside of Blade being removed from the 2023 slate, the slate remains unchanged. Two projects (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Loki Season 2) look to connect directly with the overarching plot of the Multiverse Saga, but The Marvels might connect to it a bit more than one might think at first glance.

    2024

    The changes to the 2024 slate are where things really start to fall apart and where one has to question whether or not there will be another round of changes ahead. It seems like a big factor in whether or not there are more changes will depend on how connected the Disney Plus series/special projects are to the order of things.

    Originally, Phase 5 was supposed to end with Thunderbolts in July of 2024, now it looks like it will likely end with Deadpool 3 in November of 2024. Blade and Deadpool 3 (even though it wasn’t officially given a date until recently) were always a part of Phase 5, so where they land within it doesn’t seem to matter. However, as of SDCC, the first Phase 6 project was intended to be a Disney Plus series/special presentation scheduled for Fall 2024, before Fantastic Four. Then, another two Phase 6 Disney Plus projects were set to stream before the end of 2024.

    With all the changes, the end date for Phase 5 has now been extended by 4 months, meaning two streaming projects that were meant to be a part of Phase 6 are now TENTATIVELY set to stream before Phase 5 concludes. Can these projects just be moved into Phase 5? It’s hard to determine without knowing the identity of the projects. Do audiences need to see the content delivered in Blade or Deadpool 3 before they can view these series? Again, hard to determine without knowing what the projects are. If they need to be included in Phase 6, Marvel Studios would have to push them into November of 2024 or later, potentially creating a content void that they seem to be trying to avoid. A lot of questions that can’t be answered, but 2024 and Phase 5 are clearly being impacted the most by the changes and potentially impacting everything else the most as a result.

    Summary: Phase 5 ends later and with a different project and would currently experience an increase in the number of projects with some Phase 6 projects set to stream before Phase 6 begins.

    2025

    While the update on Monday revealed two pretty major changes, it also implies that more might be coming. With Fantastic Four being bumped into 2025, Avengers: Secret Wars was bumped out. However, it also means the February slot before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is now occupied by Fantastic Four when it was clearly meant for another film up until these changes took place. The best bet as to what was intended to be there is the sequel to Shang-Chi. Both films are set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and there’s been enough said to me to indicate that Shang-Chi 2 was meant to lead up to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. With all that in mind, the slate is what it is at this point, but don’t be surprised to see further changes. One possibility is for one Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to move to the vacated November slot, opening up one of two summer spots for Shang-Chi 2. And while Disney doesn’t date Spidey films, that 4th movie is looming out there, so perhaps one of these 2025 films might come off the schedule entirely to make room for Spidey 4.

    Summary: Phase 6 starts later than expected, but with the same project (Fantastic Four). It also ends later, but with the same project (Avengers: Secret Wars).

    2026

    As announced at SDCC ’22, Avengers: Secret Wars was intended to close out Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga in November of 2025. The next day, Disney slated 4 Untitled Marvel Studios films for 2026, all meant to kick off Phase 7. But as the delay of Blade led to the delay of another project and another project and so on, Avengers: Secret Wars found itself bumped 5 months to May of 2026. But being the capstone project of the entire Multiverse Saga, moving Secret Wars ultimately means delaying the end of Phase 6 and the start of Phase 7.

    Additionally, in shifting from November 7, 2025 to May 1, 2026, Avengers: Secret Wars actually jumped 2 dates. On the surface and without further changes, this adds a 6th film to the Phase 6 slate. We don’t know what the untitled films are, but when the slate for Phase 6 was revealed, it was comprised of 5 films. With things the way they are now, it’s 6 and this seems like a pretty major change to a slate that one would assume is pretty well planned out and only holds the requisite number of projects to tell the story. The scenario described in the 2025 section above provides some relief to that by removing one of those films to make way for Spidey 4. The best guess here is that Marvel Studios is NOT done shuffling and that these dates should be viewed as placeholders and nothing more.

    Summary: Phase 6 not only ends later but with Avengers: Secret Wars jumping 2 release dates, it currently includes one additional film that was previously slated for Phase 7.

    Realistically, any analysis is probably a waste of time because the only constant with Marvel Studios’ slate of projects is change. So for now, tracking the changes and thinking about how they might lead to more is both the best we can do and the worst thing we can do because it sends us down a path with no clarity just past the horizon.

  • ‘Blade,’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Secret Wars,’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ Get New Release Dates

    ‘Blade,’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Secret Wars,’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ Get New Release Dates

    Following the news that Marvel Studios would be halting production on Blade, the Walt Disney Company has confirmed new Blade has been pushed to 2024. Unsurprisingly, this move has also resulted in shifts for other Marvel Studios titles including Deadpool 3, Avengers: Secret Wars, Fantastic Four, and two untitled Marvel films.

    Blade, previously dated for Nov. 3rd, 2023, has moved to Sept. 6, 2024. While Deadpool 3, which only announced its release date a couple of weeks ago, has now moved from Sept. 6, 2024 to Nov. 8th, 2024. Fantastic Four, previously set for Nov. 8th, 2024 has now moved to Feb. 14th, 2025. Avengers: Secret Wars is now moving to May 1st, 2026 from Feb. 14th, 2025, while two other Untitled Marvel Studios films have also been bumped. One of those movies has moved from Feb. 14th, 2025 to Nov. 7th, 2025, while the other set for May 1st, 2026 has been removed from the schedule altogether.

    It remains to be seen what the untitled film was that was ultimately shelved, but the massive date change is to be expected. With Secret Wars now delayed until Feb. 2025, there is no longer just six months between The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. While Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is attached to helm the former, the latter is still on the hunt for a director.

  • 1 of These 3 Children of Logan Should Become the MCU’s Wolverin

    1 of These 3 Children of Logan Should Become the MCU’s Wolverin

    Wolverine is one of the most popular comic characters of all time. Given the character’s long life, it is no surprise that there are more than a few successors to the Wolverine mantle kicking around in Marvel Comics. And with the recent announcement that Hugh Jackman will be returning to the role once again in Deadpool 3, now is as good a time as any to look at the most prominent of Wolverine’s “children” that could be adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Right off the bat, there are quite a few “mini-Logans” running around in the comics. So many that one was able to round up an entire team of Wolverine offspring called “The Mongrels.” The MCU shouldn’t bother with every single clone, but they should focus on a few. However, 3 of Wolverine’s kids from the comics are primed to make an appearance in the MCU. Starting with…

    Laura Kinney, aka X-23/Wolverine

    Laura is a weapon, but she does not have to be. She’s basically a second shot at Wolverine. On the comics side, a group known as “The Facility” wanted to recreate Weapon X by cloning Logan. In the real world, Laura was a shot at giving audiences a younger Wolverine who could be hip and cool with the kids. In her short time as a comic character, Laura Kinney has gone by many names. She has been known as Wolverine, X-23, and even Talon for a while. She actually debuted on X-Men: Evolution (the best show) as a young clone of Wolverine seeking out her progenitor. Laura is the mutant “Pinocchio.” She was created for a single purpose: to be the assassin for The Facility, the ultimate killing machine. But like Pinocchio, she wants to be a real person. So, she cut her strings and found her humanity.

    Laura is sad – her short life has been filled with trauma. The Facility broke her spirit and tortured her, all so Laura could be the perfect killer without any physical attachments. So, when she escaped, Laura realized that her childhood was taken from her. In spite of this, Laura is surprisingly well-adjusted; more so than Logan was at her age. Part of this has to do with her loving mother that sort of raised her, but it’s probably largely attributed to her relationship with Logan and the rest of the X-Men. Laura does not have these centuries of trauma that come with Logan, so she’s able to change and grow.

    Laura played a part in the X-Force, Avengers Arena, and currently is representing all of Krakoa as a member of the X-Men. And when Logan was killed, Laura took up the mantle as the All-New Wolverine. Laura is also not necessarily one-of-a-kind. She’s the 23rd clone of Wolverine, but there are a few others that popped up out of the woodwork. Four found Laura during the all-new Wolverine storyline. Three were perfect copies, and one was a younger version known as Gabby. But Laura helps the clones like family and is able to be an older sister to Gabby once all the clone business is finished.

    But Laura is not without her issues. A big one comes from something known as the “trigger scent.” Obviously, Laura can be violent under the right circumstances. She is, after all, a clone of Logan. But Laura’s creators gave her a physiological reaction to a specific scent. She’s programmed to destroy anything bearing that scent. This was originally perceived as a way to make her more emotionless and more of an assassin, but it has been used by her more sadistic enemies to just mess with Laura; dumping the smell on an entire town or even a friend. It’s a doomsday scenario for Laura. She even killed her mother after her mother was tagged with the scent. This causes Laura extreme emotional pain, although she has gotten over the scent recently. Just like Pinocchio, she’s got no strings on her.

    Previously, Dafne Keen played Laura in Logan, and there is so much to like. Most notably, she was angry and psychotic, ripping the Reavers to shreds; that’s very Laura. The biggest liberty they took with Laura was her age as she’s traditionally a bit older. It’s unclear canonically how old, but she’s at least maybe in her late teens. So, Laura played by an actor who was around 10 when they filmed was a bit of a stretch. Her age puts her a little closer to Laura’s sister Gabby. But the spirit and character of Laura were there. She was angry, sad, and wanted a family. There’s a strong case to be made for bringing back Dafne Keen. Audiences loved Keen in Logan. She’s a young star on the rise, is used to physical roles like in Logan (which is incredibly important), and has a real edge. She is able to get angry in that classically Wolverine way. And it would be a fun way to acknowledge that Hugh Jackman did pass the torch to Keen in the movie.

    Akihiro, aka Daken

    Akihiro is a bad boy. Daken is like Wolverine, but angsty, vengeful, and sexy. Now, there are 2 Akihiro’s that exist in the comics, or more appropriately there’s Daken and Akihiro. Daken is the edgy and evil son-villain, while Akihiro is the superhero. When the character was originally introduced, he was called Daken; it’s a slur in Japanese that translates to “mongrel.” He went by that for a very long time. Only recently has Akihiro caught on as the generally accepted name for the character.

    Akihiro is Logan’s son, born from a relationship with a woman named Itsu. Unlike Laura or Gabby, he is not a clone. Itsu was killed and it was assumed that her child also died since it was never born. But the child’s incredible healing factor let it survive outside the womb. The child was taken by Romulus, that archenemy that’s been pulling all of the strings in Wolverine’s life; the architect of all his pain. Unfortunately, for one to understand the character of Akihiro, Romulus, a villain that should not be acknowledged further, must be touched upon. Romulus dropped the baby off with a Japanese family, and that was that. Until his adopted family imploded when Akihiro found out his mom did not love him, and killed their newborn baby and his adopted mother before his adopted father committed suicide. This is what the Akihiro comics were like in the 2000s (SO edgy).

    Then Romulus came back. Romulus is some ageless wolf-man who has existed since the dawn of humanity. He is the same Romulus who founded Rome, and he is particularly obsessed with Logan because of the whole wolf thing. Romulus raised Akihiro with the hopes that Akihiro would defeat his father Logan and take Romulus’ place at the top of the food chain (it’s very dumb). But from that point on, Akihiro was the dark Wolverine trained by Romulus and manipulated to believe Wolverine killed his birth mother when it was actually (fun fact) Bucky, the Winter Soldier. But, Akihiro spent the next 50 years training and preparing to meet his father and avenge his mother.

    This version of Akihiro is very much a 2000s, edgy, emo version of Wolverine with a mohawk and tattoos, who does bad stuff because he loves to be bad. It really doesn’t work, probably due to the fact that he is very predictable and silly in that way. The more interesting secret Logan-child running around is Laura, and when her story is put next to Akihiro’s, it just makes his look dumb. He’s just doing what she did, but edgier, and constantly being manipulated by villains like Romulus, Mystique, Ms. Sinister, Norman Osborn, and even just some actor named Marcus Ralston. He’s sort of a dummy. Yes, he’s a very clever tactician with lots of plans and schemes, but it takes a while for Akihiro to really feel like his own character, with agency and personality outside of all the Romulus revenge stuff.

    Over time, Akihiro worked with Logan and Laura, but it was not until the recent comics on Krakoa that Akihiro became someone unique. He is still Wolverine’s son and still in his shadow, and is still kind of a jerk, but he’s very serious now. He seems to have gotten over himself. A lot of that probably comes from making peace with his father, as well as Krakoa’s calming effect that makes all the villains a little less “villain-y.” However, the biggest difference is that the new Akihiro is like Wolverine, but sexy. Yes, Wolverine is plenty sexy. But, Wolverine is sexier than your average man. Akihiro is sexier than your average superhero. He is superhumanly sexy. Part of Akihiro’s mutant ability allows him to emit pheromones that can control the emotions of others, usually making them feel the way Akihiro does. Akihiro is also bisexual. Originally this was part of his schemes. He used sex as a way to get what he wanted and didn’t see partners as anything but a means to an end (boring). But since then, Akihiro has matured. In X-Factor, he has a flirty relationship with Aurora, and in Marvel’s Voices: Pride, Akihiro also has a fake lifelong relationship with Somnus, the new mutant who can control dreams. So, while Akihiro can be vengeful, that’s not enough in MCU. He also needs a personality. A great avenue for Akihiro could be that he’s just a super sexy mutant; the X-Men Mr. Steal Your Girl.

    Gabrielle Kinney, aka Honey Badger/Scout

    Gabrielle is a kid – the zoomer Wolverine. Gabby first showed up in All-New Wolverine back in 2016. In that storyline, Laura found out that even though she was the first successful clone of Logan, Laura was not the last. She tracks down a team of several clones, all of which looked exactly like her – except Gabby. Gabby is a younger clone and the younger sister of this group. Once all of the rest of the clone sisters are either liberated or killed, Gabby is the one that stays with Laura and becomes her adopted little sister. Gabby also has a pet – one of only a few X-pets besides Lockheed, Amazing Baby, and Jeff the Land Shark. In All-New X-Men #7, Squirrel Girl brings Laura a wolverine that Gabby adopts and names Jonathan. It’s adorable and it needs to be translated to live action.

    Gabby is optimistic, idealistic, and silly. Her powers are similar to Laura’s, with one big difference: Gabby – and all of her sisters – cannot feel pain, which, when coupled with a healing factor, is a huge plus. So, while she has lived a very tough life, Gabby is able to roll with the craziness of the X-Men life pretty well. She’s also sometimes known as “Honey Badger” or “Scout”, and that’s cool. New characters should be given new names. Or if legacy characters are given the original name, that name should not be given back to the original character. If Laura is Wolverine (which is great), Logan should now be Logan, otherwise, it is not a mantle – and it’s a pretty useless call sign.

    A case is made for each of three Wolverine children that would be best suited to show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once Marvel Studios establishes their own Logan, perhaps we’ll see all of them.

  • Debating Whether Hugh Jackman Could be the MCU’s Wolverine

    Debating Whether Hugh Jackman Could be the MCU’s Wolverine

    In what has been one of the largest blindsides of major Marvel Studios news, it’s been revealed that Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine for the upcoming Deadpool threequel. Naturally, fans are incredibly curious about what this may mean for the upcoming film and with Secret Wars looming, potentially beyond. Arguably the most notable talking point will be what this means for the character of Wolverine as a whole between the Hugh Jackman variant and the hypothetical future version in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the surface-level take would be to assume they’ll bring in a new actor down the road to portray some version of the character, the case can be made for Marvel Studios to actually keep Hugh Jackman in the role for a specific purpose. Let’s take a look at the cases for why and why wouldn’t Jackman become the Earth-616 version of Wolverine.

    Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Days of Future Past

    Why Hugh Jackman Wouldn’t be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Wolverine

    There are ample reasons why Hugh Jackman wouldn’t work as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s main timeline Wolverine. While the star has been synonymous with the character for over two decades, Marvel Studios would likely want to make room for a new interpretation of Wolverine. From the get-go, it would create the opportunity for the character of Wolverine to go in a different direction from the “Logan” moniker into predominately James Howlett. It’s certainly not the most important element but is emblematic of Kevin Feige’s potential desire to bring a more comic-inspired version of Wolverine to the big screen. In a world where the X-Men universe of characters will need to be distinct to stand apart from the original film adaptation, removing Wolverine’s “leading man” energy would be an easy place to start. Having Wolverine be the shortest and hairiest version possible would be a welcome change to a number of fans. 

    With that in mind, having a new actor in the role would provide significantly more creative freedom. Wolverine is someone with a rich history that hasn’t been fully told yet (even with Jackman’s many portrayals of the character) and going with a younger actor would ultimately bring more narrative opportunities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Wolverine is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel pantheon and having longevity for the role could be something paramount for Kevin Feige to consider.

    In addition, having Hugh Jackman as the mainline version of Wolverine might take away from what could be a compelling multiversal story with his character. Having an actor with the cache of Jackman returning would presumably necessitate a compelling story arc for his character. Returning for at least Deadpool III could open the door for this version of Wolverine to have a new satisfying concluding arc to him that would maybe be muddled by staying in the Marvel Cinematic Universe afterward.

    Hugh Jackman in Logan

    Why Hugh Jackman Would Work at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Wolverine

    Alternativly, Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine could really work within the framework of the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. The main crux of this though would be the notion that the Logan version of the character is more of a supporting character to a different primary Wolverine: Laura Kinney. She has been distinctly popular with fans for a considerable amount of time, especially since Dafne Keen’s portrayal in Logan. In recent years has been seen as a marquee character in X-Men comics as an official Wolverine. Marvel Studios would be smart to at least consider striking while the iron is hot and bring in the currently-17-year-old actress to reprise her role for the long-term future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    It would be a massive creative gamble by Marvel Studios to have Laura Kinney be the primary Wolverine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (perhaps their largest creative risk), but it doesn’t feel like it would be completely out of the realm of possibility. It certainly guarantees an entirely new vibe from the X-Men that would be massively different from the original film adaptations by Fox. Jackman’s version of the character loomed large over essentially every project and moving him to a distinctly supporting role would allow different characters to shine on the silver screen. And if there remains a desire to see Logan in his prime, de-aging technology in film continues to advance and seeing what would appear to be a younger Hugh Jackman in action via CGI grows more possible, if it isn’t already.

    A second option for bringing in Hugh Jackman is a bit more niche, but would still drum up excitement with fans. A World War Hulk film adaptation has long been rumored to be in the offing, and it’s a film that would feel like a logical endpoint for the character of Bruce Banner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that in mind, some of the most seminal stories for both Hulk and Wolverine that haven’t been adapted is their epic showdown in the comics. And unless there is a surprise casting of a new Wolverine in the relatively new future, Jackman would in theory be the best chance at seeing Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk fight against a Wolverine on the big screen.

    Conclusions

    With every point and counterpoint to consider, it would be very likely that Hugh Jackman wouldn’t return as Wolverine for any other projects besides Deadpool III (and potentially a cameo role in Avengers: Secret Wars). Jackman is currently 53 years old and presumably wouldn’t want to make that sort of long-term commitment, even if it was for more of a supporting role. In addition, Kevin Feige and company would likely be interested in creating their own take on the character that is distinct from what came before. Even still, it would not be entirely shocking if Marvel Studios decided to make other types of radical and unexpected differences to make their version of the X-Men stand out from the original cinematic versions.

  • BREAKING: Hugh Jackman Returns as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’, Gets September 2024 Release

    BREAKING: Hugh Jackman Returns as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3’, Gets September 2024 Release

    No, you read that correctly but it looks like Hugh Jackman isn’t quite done yet with his role as Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds shared a new video on his official Twitter account and suddenly dropped the news that Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in the upcoming third Deadpool movie. Not only that but he also revealed that the film will premiere on September 6th, 2025.

    There’s a fun reference in regard to the film not being featured during D23 but this random drop is right up Reynold‘s usual marketing scheme for the character. Instead of being a part of the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe, they are still going to explore Deadpool as part of the original 20th Century Fox era of the X-Men. Perhaps this is meant to not only send off the character into the multiverse but also as a way to wrap up the trilogy, which has repeatedly mocked their relationship.

    We also got a new logo fitting for Wolverine’s return and includes the Marvel Studios logo.

    This is technically the first non-mainline MCU project to release throughout the Multiverse Saga and it seems fitting that they’d make use of some familiar elements. If they are still waiting for an opportunity to fully use some elements from the original before they start building their own. Who knows if this also opens up the possibility of Hugh Jackman reeturning in Avengers: Secret Wars. After him seemingly leaving the role behind, it’s crazy to think Wolverine is back in style and perhaps he hopefully gets to finally wear the iconic suit this time around.

    Source: Twitter

  • Ryan Reynolds Seemingly Starts Getting in Shape for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Ryan Reynolds Seemingly Starts Getting in Shape for ‘Deadpool 3’

    It’s a Deadpool kind of day, as we’ve been getting some bits and pieces on the upcoming third entry, such as Zazie Beets playing coy on if we can expect her return as Domino. Now Don Saladino has shared a few photos of him getting Ryan Reynolds in shape for an upcoming project. In his comments, he includes a red and two katanas, which definitely continues to push the notion that Deadpool 3 is happening sooner rather than later. While it wasn’t included in any of the Phase announcements, it may still take on the blank positions in Phase 6.

    Reynolds starting to prepare for the upcoming project is definitely a good sign that something is on the horizon. Perhaps D23 is where we’ll get an official announcement and even some insight into what exactly Phase 6 will be all about. They seemingly surprised us with how much they revealed during San Diego Comic-con and who knows what else might be heading our way with Disney+ Day and a Disney-owned event on the horizon.

    Source: Instagram

  • Zazie Beetz Plays Coy on Possible ‘Deadpool 3’ Return

    Zazie Beetz Plays Coy on Possible ‘Deadpool 3’ Return

    Zazie Beetz left her mark on the Marvel franchise when she appeared in Deadpool 2. The Atlanta actress portrayed Domino, a mutant mercenary and longtime comic book affiliate of Wade Wilson, in the well-received sequel project. She was introduced to the franchise alongside Josh Brolin‘s Cable, and before the merger of 20th Century Fox and Disney, many fans expected Beetz to reprise her role in the trilogy’s third installment. Now, with Deadpool 3 being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, pretty much everything aside from Ryan Reynolds‘ involvement is up in the air.

    Speaking with Variety at the premiere of her new film Bullet Train, Beetz was asked to comment on her potential future as Domino in Deadpool 3. Of course, the actress couldn’t really confirm anything, but her response felt far from an actual denial:

    It’s unknown how much of the Deadpool series’ storyline will carry over into the MCU, especially considering the concept of mutants is only just being realized in the franchise timeline. Luckily, Deadpool 3 could possibly fall within the ongoing “Multiverse Saga”, which would leave several doors open for performers like Beetz and Reynolds to enter the MCU from another dimension. After all, Domino does operate using the power to manipulate luck, so it’s entirely plausible that she has a hand in landing herself and the Merc with a Mouth in the multiverse’s most popular timeline.

    Deadpool 3 will be directed by Shawn Levy, from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and currently has no release date.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Deadpool 2’ Director Explains Why He Didn’t Return for the MCU Sequel

    ‘Deadpool 2’ Director Explains Why He Didn’t Return for the MCU Sequel

    David Leitch has made a name for himself in Hollywood. The former stunt man-turned-director is gearing up for his latest action film, Bullet Train, to hit theaters this weekend, and spoke to Uproxx about the many projects that have brought him to where he is today. After co-directing the first John Wick with Chad Stahelski, Leitch carved his own path and made more action hits with films like Atomic Blonde and the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw. Perhaps his most popular work, however, is 2018’s sequel Deadpool 2, which he boarded after the first film’s maestro, Tim Miller, departed over creative differences.

    Curiously, Leitch has never returned to a franchise after working on it once. This could change in the future, but for now, the director explained to Uproxx that it’s almost entirely circumstantial:

    It’s probably more of what I’m doing and some circumstance. I love all of those worlds, and they’re all precious to me. Starting with John Wick. Chad has taken over that franchise and executed it beautifully. And Deadpool is amazing. And Atomic Blonde, I would love to go back. When I look back, I would love to go back to those worlds, but I think the way it’s worked out for me, or fate has brought me to this place, is that I get new opportunities and they’re really awesome, interesting, as well. Now moving on and doing The Fall Guy with Gosling, we’re prepping right now.

    David Leitch

    When asked if his upcoming production of The Fall Guy played a role in his not coming back for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Deadpool 3, Leitch made it clear this was not the case. In fact, the creative revealed he had actually spoken to Marvel about another Deadpool adventure, but simply couldn’t find the right window to make it happen between the studio and himself:

    No. Look, we had conversations about Deadpool 3, but I just was … I had things in the pipeline, too. And it was never, “Hey, do you want to do it or not want to do it?” or whatever. I think it was more we knew our dance cards were kind of full on both sides. And we have a window. And Marvel has calendars.

    David Leitch

    Deadpool 3 will be helmed instead by Ryan Reynolds‘ frequent collaborative partner Shawn Levy. There is not currently a release date, but fans can check out Leitch‘s Brad Pitt-starring Bullet Train on August 5th.

    Source: Uproxx

  • SDCC: Every Marvel Studios Project That Wasn’t Discussed

    SDCC: Every Marvel Studios Project That Wasn’t Discussed

    Kevin Feige once said that Marvel Studios would not appear at San Diego Comic-Con unless they could overdeliver, and this year’s event proved he wasn’t kidding. Through two major panels, one for animation and the other for live-action, the entertainment giant landed punch after punch of exciting news. Those in attendance were treated to countless announcements at a rapid fire pace, and information drops were used to both expand on known projects and reveal entirely new ones. If any fans felt left in the dark after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, they should have a pretty good idea as to what the future holds now.

    That being said, there were still quite a few titles missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline shown at the end of the company’s Hall H presentation. Despite all the thrilling surprises, it’s hard not to wonder what might be going on with the shows and movies Feige didn’t talk about over the weekend. As such, it feels right to round up every single MCU project that’s definitely in development but somehow still on the downlow. Let’s dig in:

    This was the biggest question mark coming out of Marvel’s Hall H. Armor Wars, an upcoming Disney+ series based on the comic arc of the same name was officially announced during a Disney Investor Day presentation in 2020. It’s probably the longest-standing MCU project yet to score a release window, despite a promising premise and a genuine leading man in Don Cheadle‘s War Machine. Actor, writer, and comedian Yassir Lester was brought on to serve as the series head writer almost a full year ago, and that was more or less the last time fans heard of any progress behind-the-scenes. The fact that Armor Wars wasn’t even mentioned during this year’s Comic-Con initially caused a bit of panic that the series might have been quietly canceled, until Lester took to social media and confirmed it’s still planned to release.

    As history has shown, Marvel Studios is not above shifting its calendar to accommodate new things. It’s very likely that Armor Wars is simply still in its early development stages, and will be slipped into the release schedule when the company and the creatives feel everything is ready to go. It’s also possible the show’s story fits better later in the MCU timeline, and Feige just revealed its existence earlier than he ended up needing to. Until more is known, fans will just have to settle for seeing Cheadle‘s James Rhodes in Secret Invasion instead.

    It really felt like this one was coming, and it’s still kind of shocking that it never did. Deadpool 3 has been in various stages of production since 2018, with its creative process being understandably delayed by Disney’s acquisition of former parent company 20th Century Fox. Since then, it’s been confirmed by the likes of Feige and star Ryan Reynolds that another film is indeed on the way. If that wasn’t enough, they’ve also revealed that this threequel will finally transition its R-rated antihero into the MCU proper.

    The lead-up to this year’s convention saw Disney put both previous Deadpool films on their previously-kid-friendly streaming service, and the convention grounds themselves had the Merc with a Mouth handing out free chimichangas to promote the big additions. Nothing has ever felt like more of a sign that Marvel might announce the new entry during their Hall H panel. Alas, no Deadpool 3 was found on the timeline. At least fans can rest easy knowing Reynolds, along with franchise writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, are currently hard at work preparing Wade Wilson for his next cinematic adventure.

    Marvel’s Hall H presentation was surprisingly Avengers-heavy for a franchise with so many new toys to play with. As stated before, the MCU can now legally include mutants, and more specifically, the X-Men, in their theatrical projects. Patrick Stewart became the first mutant in the MCU earlier this year when he reprised his iconic role as Professor Charles Xavier for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Iman Vellani took the reigns as part of a huge twist ending when Kamala Khan turned out to be a mutant in Ms. Marvel‘s finale episode. Now seemed like the perfect time for Marvel to announce exactly when to expect the X-Men’s return to cinemas, in a film Feige continues referring to as The Mutants, but no such confirmation ever came. Not even a peep about a potential creative team.

    It’s worth noting the X-Men did have a presence at the convention, however, in the form of the animated X-Men ’97 series coming to Disney+ in fall 2023. It’s very possible Marvel held back on revealing The Mutants so that show would have time to shine, and besides, there were still about eight empty slots on that Phase 6 slide. It wouldn’t be shocking if Marvel’s Merry Mutants found themselves occupying one in the very near future.

    It’s actually pretty strange that this one didn’t make the cut. It’s an incredibly open secret that Marvel Studios is developing an untitled Disney+ Halloween special centered on Werewolf by Night, but the transparency behind the project isn’t what makes its lack of attention at San Diego Comic-Con so weird. Not only does this one-hour special have a director in longtime composer Michael Giacchino, a runtime, and a full-blown cast in Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly, it’s actually already completed filming and is supposedly set to release in October of this year. It seems like, by this point, it should at least have an official title. Yet, the elongated Marvel One-Shot, or whatever it may be, was not even included in the MCU’s Phase 4 when Feige discussed the future timeline with fans, despite coming out before the Phase ends with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    It’s starting to look like Marvel Studios doesn’t consider holiday-themed specials as part of their actual Phase plan. Much like the still-untitled Halloween special, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is all filmed and rearing to go for this December season. Set photos, promotional merchandise, and a lot of updates from director James Gunn have kept fans satiated for the past year, but an official release date would be a nicer present for under the tree.

    It wasn’t that long ago fans learned Simon Williams would be coming to the MCU. It was just last month The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and Community writer Andrew Guest would create a Wonder Man series for Disney+. The article mentioned that cameras could begin rolling on the show as soon as 2023, so many fans felt that an official announcement from Marvel might come out of Hall H. Sadly, Feige‘s presentation ended without any sort of Phase placement or casting reveal for Wonder Man. Perhaps supporters of the longtime Avenger will have better luck at D23.

    Nova is maybe the most elusive MCU project in the company’s history. The character has been rumored to appear in a number of projects since it seems, the beginning of the company’s history. It was once confirmed that Richard Rider, the last of the Nova Corps, was intended to appear in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, but was cut for the sake of trimming story fat. All hope seemed lost until news dropped in March that a Disney+ series focusing on the character was in development from Moon Knight scribe Sabir Pirzada. Of course, this led many to believe Marvel would finally make the project official at Comic-Con, putting an end to the cult-like social media campaign to bring Nova to live-action. Maybe Marvel likes all the begging because that obviously didn’t happen.

    Black Panther Spin-Offs

    Early last year, it was reported by Deadline that Marvel Studios had put two Black Panther spin-off series into development at Disney+. One was said to revolve around Danai Gurira‘s Okoye, while the other would be Wakanda-centric and produced by director Ryan Coogler. Not much has been heard about either show since then, even if many expected at least one to be announced alongside Wakanda Forever‘s portion of the night’s program. Much like the mutant situation before it, this could be due to the fact Marvel wanted its highly-anticipated sequel to get every bit of the attention.

    Not long after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings became a massive success, it was announced that director Cretton and star Simu Liu would return for another go-around. It wasn’t likely that Marvel would make a big fuss about the future project with so much else to cover, but it did seem logical that a title reveal or release date could come with the outlining of Phases 4-6. While this didn’t pan out, fans can still be excited to see Cretton come back for Disney+’s Wonder Man, which as previously mentioned, also wasn’t discussed at Comic-Con.

  • Marvel Studios President Teases Their Approach to ‘Deadpool 3’

    Marvel Studios President Teases Their Approach to ‘Deadpool 3’

    If is one Marvel Studios movie fans are desperate for more news on, it’s Deadpool 3. The Ryan Reynolds-led threequel might not be the flashiest film on Marvel’s upcoming slate, but it is one of the few projects due in the next handful of years that the company has barely talked about. Even Marvel’s signature Hall H presentation failed to offer any new information on Wade Wilson’s next big adventure. Luckily for fans, however, studio boss Kevin Feige came through with a fresh little tidbit when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week.

    While discussing the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Feige mentioned he hopes Deadpool 3 can be as grand of a trilogy capper as Captain America: Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok before it:

    How do we elevate it in the way we’ve been able to with Civil War, and Infinity War, and Ragnarok? It’s very fun to be in the world of the Ryan Reynolds show.

    Kevin Feige

    It’s been stated by Feige and Reynolds before that the creatives involved with Deadpool 3 are taking great care to craft a good script. It would seem fans should expect the third film in the franchise, which is set to take place within the MCU as opposed to the Fox X-Men universe of the first two installments, to go big instead of going home.

    If the mentioned examples are any indication, Marvel may be planning on bringing a few other guest characters into Deadpool’s theatrical journey. Civil War and Infinity War both featured essentially the entire MCU at the time of their releases, and Ragnarok had fun throwing Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk into the life of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. Perhaps the next time audiences see the Merc with a Mouth, he’ll have most of the Marvel universe standing beside him.

    There is no current release date for Deadpool 3.

    Source: THR