Deadpool & Wolverine Release Date, Cast, Director, Trailer And More Details
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In March 2019, Hollywood experienced a seismic shift when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. While this prompted quite a bit of debate about monopolies and the future of film (rather important stuff), it was exciting news for MCU fans. Fox was home to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, and the purchase opened the door for characters like Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, and Doctor Doom to appear alongside the likes of Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, and Doctor Strange. It also set the stage for perhaps the most foul-mouthed superhero in history to show up in the MCU.
Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, the character of Deadpool stole our hearts and killed so many people when he debuted on the big screen in 2016. Played by Ryan Reynolds, the Merc With a Mouth broke the fourth wall, took superhero movies to edgy new extremes, and made box office history when his film became the highest-grossing R-rated movie up to that point. That record was broken two years later with "Deadpool 2," which further cemented leading man Ryan Reynolds as a limb-chopping, F-bomb-dropping star.
But with Disney's acquisition of Fox, many of us wondered if a character as raunchy as Deadpool could exist in the same world as Captain America. Well, as it turns out, Wade Wilson is indeed getting his own solo MCU film. The third "Deadpool" movie — titled "Deadpool and Wolverine" — is on the way, and if you want to know more about the antihero's entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, read on for everything we know about the project so far.
When will Deadpool and Wolverine be released?
Filming on "Deadpool and Wolverine" was paused during the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023, but after the actors and studios finally figured things out, director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds were able to put the finishing touches on the third "Deadpool" film in time for a 2024 release. But when exactly will the Merc With a Mouth embark on his grand MCU journey?
Well, Wade Wilson will return on July 26, 2024, taking the spot previously held by "Captain America: Brave New World." (The fourth Cap adventure has been moved to 2025.) "Deadpool and Wolverine" will actually be 2023's lone MCU movie, which is quite the departure for Marvel Studios. The superhero behemoth has been releasing 2-3 films for over a decade now. The last time the studio released a single film in a calendar year was back in 2012 with "The Avengers." In other words, a lot is resting on Deadpool's shoulders, especially since the recent MCU offerings haven't really held up to the glory days of Phases 1-3. Will Wade Wilson save the struggling cinematic universe and give Marvel its next massive hit?
Who is starring in Deadpool and Wolverine?
If you thought three Spider-Men sharing the screen in "No Way Home" was cool, then get ready for "Deadpool and Wolverine." The upcoming superhero flick features a similarly awesome team-up, with Ryan Reynolds starring as the titular mercenary and Hugh Jackman playing the Wolverine.
The last time we saw the cigar-chomping X-Man — not counting the quick "Deadpool 2" post-credit meta joke — he was sacrificing himself in "Logan." So how is he back? It's because the MCU has introduced the concept of multiverses, where anyone can show up at any time. We can't wait to see the wise-cracking Reynolds share the screen with a cranky Hugh Jackman, especially since the latter will be wearing his comic book-accurate yellow-and-blue suit for the very first time.
As for the tried-and-true "Deadpool" crew, Morena Baccarin is returning as Vanessa, Stefan Kapicic is portraying Colossus, and Karan Soni will get plenty of laughs as Dopinder. Leslie Uggams will appear as Blind Al, Rob Delaney is back from the dead as X-Force member Peter, and Brianna Hildebrand and Shioli Kutsuna return as couple Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio, respectively. Even Lewis Tan is coming back as the unlucky Shatterstar. Unfortunately, one "Deadpool" favorite isn't returning, as Domino actress Zazie Beetz confirmed that she isn't involved with the upcoming movie.
Who else is in Deadpool and Wolverine?
The cast for "Deadpool and Wolverine" is stacked with A-list actors. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman will be joined by Jennifer Garner, who's reprising the role of Elektra, the sai-wielding assassin from 2004's "Daredevil" and a 2005 standalone movie. Emma Corrin of "The Crown" will star as an unknown villain (although our money is on Cassandra Nova), and Matthew Macfadyen of "Succession" fame will play a TVA agent reportedly named Paradox. We'll also see the fiery return of Aaron Stanford who played the hot-headed Pyro in the original "X-Men" movies.
On the more rumor-y side of things, there's also gossip that Daniel Radcliffe might appear, that Dafne Keen might return as Laura Kinney/X-23, and that Liev Schreiber will return as Sabretooth. (Spoiler alert: We know for a fact that some form of Sabretooth will appear in the film, based on leaked set photos, as will X-Men baddie Toad, although we don't know who's playing either character.) Perhaps the most explosive rumor regards megastar Taylor Swift, who might play disco-inclined mutant Dazzler. When asked about this by The Wrap, director Shawn Levy replied, "No comment because that's a double whammy. That's Taylor-related. And it's MCU-related. I'm no dummy. You're going to have to wait and see."
What is the plot of Deadpool and Wolverine?
At one point in time, the plot of a third possible "Deadpool" would have basically been Wolverine and Wade Wilson hitting the open road. In January 2021 — after the MCU's "Deadpool 3" was made official but before Hugh Jackman's involvement was announced — Ryan Reynolds tweeted, "Before Disney bought Fox, 'Deadpool 3' was gonna be a road trip between Deadpool and Logan. 'Rashomon' style. For real."
With the reference to Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon," we're assuming we would have gotten different versions of the road trip told from Deadpool and Wolverine's perspectives, with neither one remembering the journey in the same way. However, the upcoming "Deadpool and Wolverine" will focus less on road trips and more on multiversal mayhem. We know from the trailers that the Time Variance Authority of the "Loki" TV series will be recruiting Deadpool for some sort of mission — one that will make him a "hero among heroes."
It also appears that Deadpool will be meeting some of his variants. In November 2023, Ryan Reynolds announced we'd see the adorably ugly Dogpool, a canine variant of the Merc With a Mouth and a member of the multiversal Deadpool Corps. And with the confirmed appearances of characters like Elektra and Pyro, it seems the third "Deadpool" movie will be a celebration of the Fox-Marvel era, although we do wonder if this is Deadpool's last ride. Why? Well, according to the tagline of the movie, "Everyone deserves a happy ending."
Who is directing Deadpool and Wolverine?
To date, every "Deadpool" film has been helmed by a different filmmaker. The original movie was directed by Tim Miller ("Terminator: Dark Fate"), and the second was overseen by David Leitch ("The Fall Guy"). So who's directing the third installment of the series? Once again, it's a brand new director, but it's also someone who has quite the connection with star Ryan Reynolds.
"Deadpool and Wolverine" is directed by Shawn Levy, who previously collaborated with Reynolds on "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project," so the two clearly enjoy working together. Levy has also been a big mover and shaker in the world of "Stranger Things," producing the series and directing several episodes, including perhaps the greatest episode of the entire show: "Dear Billy." On top of all that, Levy directed the "Night at the Museum" franchise, so looking at his filmography, the man definitely has a gift for handling comedy, action, and real-deal emotions.
Levy also plans to pay tribute to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel movies. As he explained to Total Film magazine (via Yahoo! Entertainment), "Deadpool and Wolverine are iconic Marvel characters; more specifically, iconic Marvel-of-the-Fox-era characters. We're not going to pretend, 'Oh, we snap our fingers, and suddenly that Fox legacy doesn't exist, and it shaped a lot of what we now know as the MCU.' Fox also shaped Ryan's career, Hugh's career, and my career. So there's a lot of history there, and there's a lot of Marvel history at Fox. And certainly that's a part of our storytelling."
Who is writing Deadpool and Wolverine?
Originally, Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin were tapped to write the script for "Deadpool 3." The sisters serve as producers on "Bob's Burgers," winning an Emmy for their writing on the series. With that show's unique comedy stylings, you can see why the Molyneuxs were brought on to craft the screenplay. However, at some point, they were subbed out for Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who wrote the previous "Deadpool" movies, as well as both "Zombieland" movies.
Speaking with Den of Geek, Wernick and Reese couldn't reveal if they were keeping any elements from the Molyneuxs' version of the script. However, they did say that Marvel was very much backing their vision. As Reese explained, "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."
Who's working on the Deadpool and Wolverine soundtrack?
In a way, "Deadpool and Wolverine" is a bit like a fan film made by a group of friends (albeit with a budget that could run some countries for a year). Two of the film's writers are "Deadpool" alums from the previous films, while Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy have a history of working together. It turns out the movie's soundtrack is also coming from someone who's part of that familiar crew.
Composer Rob Simonsen hasn't worked on a "Deadpool" movie until now, but he has helped craft the sound behind some of Levy's biggest projects. Simonsen composed the score for "The Adam Project" and he teamed up with Levy again for Season 4 of "Stranger Things." If you've seen either of those, then you know that Simonsen is an expert at scoring both quiet moments and big bombastic action, and his scores flow pretty seamlessly into big needle drops. The "Deadpool" trailer has already shown us that we can expect more of Wade's favorite tracks to show up in the movie, so Simonsen is going to need to channel all his past experience to make the movie's score stand out just as much.
What will Deadpool and Wolverine be rated?
With "Deadpool and Wolverine" coming from Disney, fans might be worried about what they can expect. After all, the first two "Deadpool" movies are notorious for their raunchy jokes, F-bombs, and gratuitous amounts of blood. Is that stuff going to fly at the House of Mouse? Well, the folks at Disney and Marvel have gone out of their way to assure fans that the Deadpool they know and love will stay his same vulgar self.
In 2017, Disney CEO Bob Iger told everyone not to worry. "['Deadpool'] clearly has been and will be Marvel branded," Iger said during a media call. "But we think there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like 'Deadpool.'" Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige went even further in February 2023, telling Entertainment Weekly that Deadpool would be the company's "first R-rated film."
Even the screenwriters, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, have made it clear that Disney isn't interfering with their work — too much, anyway. When Den of Geek asked about the film's R-rating and if the Disney/Marvel executives were trying to curb any of the crude humor, Reese responded, "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.'" However, Wernick was insistent on one point: "Deadpool is gonna be Deadpool."
Now, we know for a 100% fact that Deadpool is gonna Deadpool, as his upcoming film has officially received an R rating for "strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore, and sexual references." Based on that description, it sounds like it'll be more in line with "Deadpool 2" than the original film — meaning we'll get pegging jokes but no actual pegging.
What did the first teaser for Deadpool and Wolverine show?
The official teaser for "Deadpool and Wolverine" dropped on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2024, promising plenty of multiversal shenanigans, R-rated jokes, and nods to some unique corners of the MCU. The teaser opens with Deadpool celebrating his birthday with his girlfriend, Vanessa, and their weird bunch of lovable friends. That's when the TVA shows up and drags Deadpool away, but instead of immediately pruning him, they offer him the opportunity to essentially become "Marvel Jesus." Well, that's how Wade Wilson puts it anyway.
During the rest of the teaser, we visit the TVA's Void, see the ruined 20th Century Fox logo, and even get a quick glimpse of the monstrous Alioth. It also appears that Deadpool will be merking baddies in the forest seen in the beginning of "Avengers: Age of Ultron." We also spot Wolverine dressed in a white tux while sitting in a casino, a nod to his alter ego of Patch from 1989's "Wolverine" #8. We even get a fast shot of a "Secret Wars" comic book, which means "Deadpool and Wolverine" is bound to be full of Easter eggs — and possibly important connections to the rest of the franchise.
Is there a full trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine?
The official, full-length trailer for "Deadpool and Wolverine" finally dropped on April 22, 2024, giving us some deeper insight into the version of Wolverine that Hugh Jackman is playing in this outing. It sounds like he could be a different version of the character than we've ever seen before, possibly because of those aforementioned multiverse shenanigans. That would definitely make it easy for "Deadpool" to avoid ruining the original ending of Wolverine's story in "Logan."
It seems from this trailer like the TVA is somehow bringing Deadpool together with a Wolverine who failed to save the world in his own timeline. The two of them need to partner up to save Wade's timeline from a villain who, sure enough, looks an awful lot like Cassandra Nova, Professor X's twin sister, who was introduced in an "X-Men" series written by Grant Morrison. It's hard to tell how Cassandra gets brought into the story, but considering all the TVA hints, we can probably suspect another crack in the multiverse is at fault.
As you'd expect, Marvel has hidden a ton of details in the trailer, from sly nods to MCU history to cheeky jabs at the original creator of Deadpool. What they didn't do was spoil the movie's plot: The trailer for "Deadpool and Wolverine" shows way more restraint than some other MCU endeavors, so you can safely watch it a million times and get hyped up without knowing every beat of the movie before its debut.
Where to watch the Deadpool movies
As we wait for Logan and Wade Wilson to trade barbs and blows, you can get caught up on the X-Men action by revisiting their previous adventures. To get started, check out the original "Deadpool" flick, where the Merc With a Mouth gets horribly disfigured, gains superpowers, and establishes himself as the funniest superhero to ever get a feature-length film. You can stream the movie on Disney+, or you can rent it on streaming platforms like Google Play, Amazon Video, Vudu, and YouTube.
In "Deadpool 2," Wade Wilson's life is torn apart after his girlfriend, Vanessa, gets fridged. However, he's forced to get out of his funk when a time-traveling Cable (Josh Brolin) decides to go all Terminator on a young, fiery mutant. Along the way, Deadpool forms the X-Force to hilarious results, and he gets some sweet revenge on the geniuses who decided to sew his mouth shut back in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." You can stream "Deadpool 2" on Disney+, or you can rent it on sites like Google Play, Amazon Video, Vudu, and YouTube.
Chances are good you'll also want to catch up on Wolverine's backstory. You can find many of the "X-Men" movies, including Logan's swan song, "Logan," on Disney+.
What else to watch before seeing Deadpool and Wolverine
The "Deadpool" movies have always functioned pretty much as standalone stories, but it looks like "Deadpool and Wolverine" might change that trend ever so slightly. Deadpool is officially part of the MCU now, and from the trailer, it looks like this latest movie is going to focus on establishing that connection. We see Deadpool talking to members of the TVA, jumping through sling ring portals, and joking about Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige. Because of that, you might have to do a little homework before catching the movie. You'll need to know what's been going on with the TVA in "Loki," and you might need to brush up on Doctor Strange's most recent adventures as well.
Like plenty of other recent MCU movies, "Deadpool and Wolverine" looks like it may pull in all sorts of characters from the multiverse. We know that Elektra (Jennifer Garner) will make an appearance — but does that mean you really need to go back and watch 2003's "Daredevil"? Maybe. Chances are good that you'll be able to follow the story well enough without being up to date on everything Marvel, but you should probably get familiar with the Multiverse Saga just to be safe.