Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Deadpool

  • Deadpool Should Be the MCU’s LGBTQ+ Icon

    Deadpool Should Be the MCU’s LGBTQ+ Icon

    Pride Month is in full swing, meaning people, organizations, and even companies are celebrating or showing support for LGBTQ+ persons across the globe. Marvel is certainly one of those companies, and the brand is eager to highlight its queer representation in its properties. Previously, we have taken a look back at one of Marvel Comics’ milestones. And while the comics certainly have more history to draw from, the Marvel Cinematic Universe notably lags in LGBTQ+ representation across its franchise.

    The MCU is absolutely gaining momentum here, with recent additions such as Phastos in Eternals and America Chavez in Doctor: Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The franchise even promises more inclusion in the near future with characters like Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder. As with any underrepresented group, there is always pushback from an unfortunate corner of the supposed fandom when any major (or minor) character is explicitly queer.

    While we can celebrate the progress the MCU has made and is continuing to make, there is room for the Disney-owned company to make a significant and bold statement in support of LGBTQ+ representation on screen. The MCU needs a strong queer icon, and there is no better choice than the Merc with a Mouth himself. Below are four major reasons why Deadpool should be MCU’s LGBTQ+ icon.

    Deadpool Has Long Been Established as LGBTQ+

    Important to any conversation about queer representation is an understanding of the character themselves. In Deadpool’s case, there is no question that Wade Wilson is an out member of the LGBTQ+ community. The comics antihero was first confirmed as pansexual by writer Gerry Duggan, though the terminology to describe Deadpool’s sexuality has fittingly been in flux—the character’s co-creator Fabian Nicieza emphasized this back in 2015.

    Deadpool has become well-known as a pansexual symbol for many, including Fox-universe Deadpool director Tim Miller, who previously expressed his support for showcasing Deadpool’s sexuality in the movie franchise. While the character clearly has a female love interest in the live-action franchise, any viewer simply has to pay attention to Deadpool and Deadpool 2’s dialogue to know that the character’s interests go beyond the opposite sex.

    In any event, the fact that Deadpool is already a well-known queer character in the comics and has the support of many of the films’ creators, including actor Ryan Reynolds (see below), to bring that aspect of the hero into live-action is a perfect starting point for the character to further embrace that when he makes his MCU debut.

    Deadpool Is High-Profile

    When any franchise begins to embrace and increase diversity among its characters, those characters tend to often get assigned more minor roles. It does not take rocket science to understand why, but it is another reason why the MCU should wholeheartedly embrace Deadpool as LGBTQ+. Of course, the more prominent a queer character is, the more backlash they will receive. But frankly, Deadpool is already beloved across wide demographics. While he has not made his MCU debut yet, the character is established in the greater Marvel film universe, so opinions of the super-powered mercenary have already been formed. If Deadpool were to act as one of the leading LGBTQ+ characters of the MCU, it would give the character a huge platform for representation that other characters simply do not have yet.

    Deadpool’s Fan Base Spans a Wide Demographic

    It goes without saying that LGBTQ+ people—and fictional characters by extension—are subject to a wide range of stereotypes and discrimination based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Certain segments of the population, including MCU fans, support queer inclusion less than others. When new LGBTQ+ characters are introduced, it is quite easy for those people to immediately be hostile toward the idea that a single character in a movie may make them uncomfortable. For example, both Phastos and America Chavez were queer characters of color, which led to hatred and accusations of “wokeness” long before their respective films were ever released.

    Make no mistake, all LGBTQ+ characters—including women, trans, and those of color—should be fully supported by the MCU, Disney, and the vast majority of fans who have no issue with characters reflecting the real world. But in an age where the ignorant backlash is so common, Deadpool is a character that, for several reasons, has the advantage to cut through much of that in the MCU. That can be a win for the character, but it should be recognized that it could help pave the way for other queer characters.

    Deadpool is well known for being vulgar and hyperviolent among plenty of other traits. He is loved for his mature themes as well as his basic charisma and humor. The character is a hit across nearly all adult and teen demographics, and that includes demographics that may otherwise not be so supportive of LGBTQ+ representation. If the MCU’s Deadpool 3, for example, made the hero’s sexuality explicit and left no room for audiences to argue whether or not he is queer, Deadpool then becomes a symbol or icon for LGBTQ+ people across the board. In addition, it may force certain groups of people to question their assumptions and biases if one of their favorite characters also happens to not be straight.

    Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ Identity Has Ryan Reynolds’ Support

    There is no dancing around the fact that actor Ryan Reynolds, the epitome of Deadpool, is well-loved and respected in the entertainment community generally as well as for his embodiment of Wade Wilson. Reynolds has several times made it clear that he would love for the Deadpool franchise to explore Deadpool’s pansexuality, and very much wants Marvel to let the character be explicitly queer in the future. Deadpool 3 will actually be Marvel Studios’ first non-Spider-Man co-production, with Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions also in the producer’s role. While Reynolds will not have unilateral control over the character’s future, he undoubtedly has a lot. With the support of someone as powerful as the actor/producer/businessman is, though, the amount to which MCU could push the envelope with Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ identity could be significantly increased.

    In conclusion, no one character is the perfect icon for an entire group, including the LGBTQ+ community, nor should they be. Queer MCU fans, and queer people in general, deserve to have major franchises better represent them and better represent reality. If the MCU were to fully embrace Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ identity, whether it is explicitly pansexual or described/defined in some other way, it could be one of the strongest moves Marvel Studios could make in terms of supporting the diversity of their characters and audiences.

    The character is already well-known to be queer; the Deadpool franchise creators, producers, and actors strongly support the move; and the character’s more formal cinematic coming out would have a ripple effect through numerous groups and demographics that would almost certainly strengthen the general MCU fanbase’s support, acceptance, and love for LGBTQ+ characters.

  • REPORT: ‘Deadpool 3’ Adds ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Production Designer

    REPORT: ‘Deadpool 3’ Adds ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Production Designer

    After a long wait, it seems like Deadpool 3 has finally picked up the pace in production. Not only did the original writers of the first two entries join the franchise after being briefly replaced by Bob’s Burger‘s writers. Shawn Levy, a now long-time collaborator with Ryan Reynolds is now set to direct the film after working with him on The Adam Project and Free Guy. Yet, it looks like one more member of the production crew has been added.

    According to Discussing Film, Deadpool 3 has added production designer Raymond Chan. He’s had left quite an imprint on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he acted as a supervising art director on countless projects in the franchise, such as Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s also worked on some projects like Alonso Cuarón‘s Children of Men.

    Though, Chan has taken on the role of production designer, which he’ll carry on in Deadpool 3, alongside director Kari Skogland for all six episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. His next work will be Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the third entry of the Deadpool franchise, especially as it enters its MCU era and may embrace its new home.

    Source: Discussing Film

  • Marvel Studios Promised ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers It’s Not Going to Be a “Disney-Fied Deadpool”

    Marvel Studios Promised ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers It’s Not Going to Be a “Disney-Fied Deadpool”

    Marvel Studios is a very different beast from what 20th Century Fox once was. Many have created a vision of what defines an MCU film and how Disney influences their productions. That led to some concerns by fans regarding some darker characters, especially when it was confirmed that Deadpool 3 is on the horizon. Luckily, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick deny any such influence.

    In an interview with The Playlist, they even highlight that while the studios have a very different dynamic, Marvel Studios has been quite a consistent support through it all. Outside of potentially pointing to some jokes going too far, which isn’t uncommon in any studio system.

    Obviously, it’s like, it’s two completely different regimes, right? So, it’s two different bureaucracies. It was Fox, all these different people, and now it’s not those people anymore. It’s these [Disney] people and these people do things their way. And we were used to doing things our way, so there are differences, but I think the great part is that Marvel’s been incredibly supportive. They are gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool, you know? It’s not like any particular joke may be the one that they say, ‘you know, that’s too far,’ that could happen, but to this point, it’s been nothing but support

    Rhett Reese

    The big highlight is how they’ve been approached by Marvel in trying to bring this film to life. It seems that they not only are offering ways to make it easier for them but also confirming that they are not going to force anyone to create a “Disney-fied Deadpool“.

    It’s been nothing but, ‘how can we help you?’ ‘What from our universe would you like to use? How, how can we make your life easy?’ And we’re gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool. We’re not… this is not going to be the Disney-fied ‘Deadpool.’ So they’re awesome, and now it’s up to us to come through and justify that faith

    Rhett Reese

    That was one of the biggest concerns for the film, but they also confirm that we will have curses, joking referring to the title on the script being “Dead F*** Pool” but that they are definitely going for an R-rated rating. So this hopefully takes away some of the concerns that people had in regards to how they’ll bring Deadpool to life.

    Source: The Playlist

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers Open Up on Almost Being Replaced by ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Writers

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers Open Up on Almost Being Replaced by ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Writers

    Some might remember that originally, the third Deadpool film was going to be written by Bob’s Burgers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin. Suddenly, as director Shawn Levy joined the production, we got the confirmation that the original writers of the franchise, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, were back on board. There still hasn’t been an official word on why they returned to the franchise but had a chance to talk about what it was like in an interview with The Playlist.

    Yeah, that did happen. And look…It just came down the way it did, but we’re thrilled to be back is the bottom line. We just couldn’t be happier where we are right now in the mad scientist lab creating fun stuff and hopefully, we’ll get a movie out to you guys soon.

    Rdhett Reese

    The interviewer does seem to hint that it was an uncomfortable position when they had to discuss it. We never found out how they rejoined the project and it may have been some behind-the-scenes discussions that went wrong as it’s the first 20th Century Fox project being brought over to the MCU. So, it may have left some friction contractually speaking, but that is just speculation. The writing duo is excited to be back and that seems to be what matters most.

    We want to make it great. We’re in the laboratory working on it with Ryan Reynolds all the time, and we’re very much entertaining ourselves. So, hopefully, that translates and ultimately will entertain the world. But you know, it’s a marriage between Fox and Disney and it’s two different universes and it’s not easy. But it’s also a wonderful challenge and, you know, high-class problems to be able to merge those, those worlds. So, we’re, we’re enjoying it

    Rhett Reese

    Deadpool will be Marvel Studios’ first venture into R-rated territory and it seems they aren’t going to shy away from it. It would’ve been great to know what Bob’s Burgers writers brought to the table but it’s also great to have the duo back that made the character’s cinematic arrival as iconic as it is.

    Source: The Playlist

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Writer Talk Marvel Studios Being ‘Supportive’ of the Film’s R-Rating

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Writer Talk Marvel Studios Being ‘Supportive’ of the Film’s R-Rating

    There was a mixed feeling in the air when it was announced that a third Deadpool film was in development. On the one hand, we’re getting Ryan Reynolds back as the loveable fourth-wall-breaking mercenary but some believed that Marvel Studios’ usual PG-13 ratings wouldn’t allow for it to get added. Yet, it turns out that isn’t the case at all, as Marvel Studios President promised Deadpool 3 will be the MCU’s first R-rated project.

    Den of Geek got a chance to talk to the film’s writers, who are taking over from Bob’s Burgers Wendy Molyneaux and Lizzie Molyneau-Loeglin‘s first draft, after having written the previous two entries. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are thrilled to tackle the jokes that the MCU offers, and be back with Reynolds to bring the film to life. They are also joined by a new face as Shawn Levy is taking over directing duties for the project.

    It’s an absolute thrill to have the band back together, to have a new backdrop in the MCU with new characters, new villains, that kind of thing. You know, it’s never a marriage we necessarily saw coming—Fox and Disney, that was an external thing [separate] from our storytelling process. But we’re absolutely finding the serendipity and the gold in that situation, or we’re trying to.

    Rhett Reese

    They promise that “Deadpool is gonna be Deadpool” and highlight that Marvel Studios has been very supportive of embracing the character’s R-rated nature.

    Don’t worry about that. They’ve been very supportive with regard to that. Now when it comes to a particular joke, if we cross a line, maybe we’ll hear at some point, ‘Maybe not that joke.’ But I think they’ve been incredibly supportive of what we’re doing, because obviously we were doing it separate from them for a long time, and I think they’ve seen the success and they’ve had their own even greater success. So hopefully it’ll be a marriage made in heaven. But we’ve definitely got their support, and that’s a great thing to feel.

    Rhett Reese

    It’s great to see that they aren’t shying away from anything and will very likely keep the meta-jokes that’ll now focus a bit more on the MCU. The fact it’s the same character from the 20th Century Fox franchise also expands the way they tackle the character and how he may find himself in the new cinematic universe with his usual perchance of comedy.

    Source: Den of Geek

  • ‘Stranger Things’ “Dear Billy” Confirms Shawn Levy is the Perfect Choice for ‘Deadpool 3’

    ‘Stranger Things’ “Dear Billy” Confirms Shawn Levy is the Perfect Choice for ‘Deadpool 3’

    There were many reactions when it was announced that Shawn Levy was going to tackle the third entry of Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool series. In a way, it wasn’t too much of a surprise after the director and actor tackled Free Guy and The Adam Project back-to-back. He already proved his ability to tackle pop culture references and Reynold‘s usual brand of humor. Yet, there was one key ingredient that he just proved with his work on the Stranger Things Season 4 episode “Dear Billy.” He knows how to direct powerful emotional moments.

    It may sound strange, but while Deadpool#s quips and fourth-wall-breaking humor were generally his trademarks, the once 20th Century Fox franchise added one element that many overlook from his comic roots. Wade Wilson is a very tragic character that masks everything that has happened to him with the insanity that destroyed his view of his entire existence. The first two Deadpool films highlighted just how important that “human” element was when they explored his relationship with Morean Baccarin‘s Vanessa.

    The romance in the first film had its high points, but it was in the final moments where it truly came together in 2018’s Deadpool 2. The sequence when he finally gets to meet her again after her tragic death earlier in the film with an acoustic rendition of a-ha’s Take on Me hits like a dump truck of emotions. Even as he throws outlines, there’s something sincere and sweet that you wouldn’t expect from a comedy like this.

    With Levy taking on the third entry, there was some worry that the focus would mainly remain on the comedy aspects. Yet, his work on “Dear Billy” confirmed, at least for me, that the director is definitely one that can bring that emotional punch. The emotional arc of Sadie Sink‘s May Mayfield having to struggle with what may be her untimely death at the hands of Vecna was one of the season’s strongest.

    The emotional arc is rounded out by Max’s escape from the hands of Vecna through her favorite song, Kate Bush‘s Running Up That Hill which punctuated the sequence at its emotional arc. Besides the bonus side effect of the episode leading to the song once again hitting the Billboard Hot 100, it highlights that he is just as capable of tackling the humor, action, and heart that makes any Deadpool story stand out as more than just a fourth-wall-breaking comedy.

    Reynolds has proven he can pull off both, and it would be a shame not to continue his arc built around his connection with Vanessa. If they stick with her still being dead, there is an iconic story element that could be explored. The ending has implied he went back in time to save her life, and there’s a chance that this may have led to some shenanigans far beyond his own control; at least that he’d care to consider it. No matter how much the merc with a mouth throws out, as long as that emotional throughline remains, we’re in for what could become Marvel Studios’ funniest and most emotional entry yet.

    Source: USA Today

  • ‘Deadpool 3’: New Image Teases “Update” and Ryan Reynolds Easter Eggs

    ‘Deadpool 3’: New Image Teases “Update” and Ryan Reynolds Easter Eggs

    Fans of one of Marvel’s most charismatic characters are eagerly awaiting the eventual return of Deadpool to the big screen. It has been four years since Deadpool 2 was released, and Deadpool 3 still has no release date. Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox certainly changed the game for the franchise, but Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool is still set to make his highly-anticipated return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this time around.

    So far, we know that Free Guy‘s Shawn Levy will direct the Deadpool threequel, and Deadpool’s original writers are returning to help pen the script. Little else is known about the film, but the official Deadpool Movie Twitter account recently teased a “Deadpool 3 update.” The image features actor Rob Delaney’s character Peter in a room full of Ryan Reynolds-related easter eggs. The post states: “We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next!” See the full post below:

    The easter eggs certainly highlight Reynolds’ many business ventures. Peter is shown wearing a Mint Mobile jacket, a bottle of Aviation Gin is shown on the table, Maximum Effort, MNTN software, and a poster referencing the football club Wrexham AFC, which Reynolds co-owns. While there is not much to go on in terms of actual updates about Deadpool 3, it could potentially be a sign that more information is coming soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Writer Confirms Deadpool Was Never Planned to Appear

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Writer Confirms Deadpool Was Never Planned to Appear

    There has been a barrage of questions surrounding the many rumors of who and who wouldn’t appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now that the film is out, those questions still haunt us and the creative team is getting bombarded with questions about who almost made it. Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron did reveal that there were talks about potentially including Ryan Reynold‘s Deadpool but nothing more.

    Yeah, we talked about it. I think we talked about everything in this movie. So, [it] would’ve been crazy to not raise that, but it ultimately didn’t feel like… It just didn’t feel the right place. But yeah, of course we talked about it.

    Michael Waldron

    They probably had a bunch of ideas and concepts that were discussed but nothing more. We’ve heard about quite a few, such as Namor almost being part of the Illuminati but there were others plans for him moving forward. Deadpool would’ve made for a fun addition, but it’s true that he may not have quite fit into the overall tone of the film, even if it would’ve been great to see him freak out over everyone dying around him.

    The irony of the guy who can survive that kind of mutilation being hit the least would’ve made for a fun punchline, but perhaps that version of the film exists in another dimension. Many did notice what seemed like an Easter egg featuring the Merc with a Mouth in the film’s poster, but that could be something the marketing possibly just snuck in for fun.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Deadpool 3′ Will Be Marvel Studios’ First Non ‘Spider-Man’ Co-Production

    ‘Deadpool 3′ Will Be Marvel Studios’ First Non ‘Spider-Man’ Co-Production

    Here’s a surprising reveal, but it looks like Marvel Studios is starting to expand in new and interesting ways. Not only will Deadpool 3 be their first venture into R-rated fair, but they are also co-producing the film with Ryan Reynolds Maximum Effort Productions. It’s not their first time co-producing a film, as they also work alongside Sony to further expand their Spider-Man franchise. Still, this is a big step forward for Marvel Studios as they are no longer the main producer behind the project, and it’ll be interesting to see if others might also join them moving forward.

    Reynolds has taken a step back from his acting role to not only focus on some well-deserved family time but also further develop his footprint in the advertising and production world. He’s been actively involved in the development of Deadpool 3, which might also be the reason it might be the first to make that jump, especially as Maximum Effort was also involved with previous entries. We’ll see if Marvel Studios is also considering adding partners to other projects, as they continue to expand and may use the helping hand.

    If you’re wondering, the relationship with productions like The Incredible Hulk and the earlier days of the production before Disney purchased the company, Universal was a distributor but not a producer on the project. The same goes for projects like Iron Man, where Paramount Pictures was the distributor. So, while other companies were involved, they didn’t have an active production role to bring the project to life. That is why this is quite the move for Deadpool as an IP that fully belongs to Marvel Studios.

    Of course, the IP remains with Disney and Marvel Studios, but them opening up to others’ involvement may also showcase what they’ve learned from their time with Sony. The biggest benefit in this project is that Sony isn’t holding the IP of one of their biggest characters over their head, as that did briefly fall apart ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Luckily, they remained cooperative and ended up with one of the biggest releases of the entire pandemic. The future is going to be quite interesting from a creative and production side.

    Source: Forbes

  • BREAKING: Original ‘Deadpool’ Writers Return to Work on ‘Deadpool 3’s Script

    BREAKING: Original ‘Deadpool’ Writers Return to Work on ‘Deadpool 3’s Script

    Mere minutes after the news broke that Shawn Levy is in negotiations to direct the upcoming third entry of Deadpool, it seems there’s a bit more to the story. While the report still confirms that Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux are still involved in writing the script, it seems that some veterans of the franchise are back. the Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch has shared an additional detail that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the first two installments, are also back to work on the third entry.

    The original article has also been updated which reveals that these writers are also adding their own input to the script. It’s unsure why they are suddenly involved, but it’s not uncommon for Marvel Studios to have multiple writers tackle a script throughout its development process. Perhaps due to their history with the originals, they might just add some elements to keep the character consistent throughout the projects as its leading star Ryan Reynolds has also actively been involved with the script.

    So, we shouldn’t take this as them being unhappy with the initial version but rather part of their process as they get external thoughts in, especially with it involving the writers of the original. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle the project and if we’ll hear about how much the Molyneux sisters are still involved. It’s motivating to see that the project is moving forward and further adds to a feeling for when we might expect it’s release.

    Source: Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter