“Deadpool 3,” the upcoming threequel for Marvel’s R-rated superhero franchise, might very well be the most important movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history.
Yes, more important than 2008’s “Iron Man” (the beginning of it all) and 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” (one of the highest-grossing movies of all time).
That’s because Disney and Marvel are in a far worse place than when either of those seminal movies came out.
In 2008, Disney had no expectations as it tried to turn a borderline C-tier superhero into the cornerstone of the cinematic universe. And the 2019 “Avengers” flick was probably the zenith of the entire franchise.
Now? Not only has Disney lost its iron grip on the box office, but 2023 saw the company take financial hit after financial hit with its feature films.
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Sure, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was a certifiable commercial and critical hit, but the same simply cannot be said about movies like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and (shudder) “The Marvels.”
(And “Guardians” wasn’t nearly profitable enough to offset the losses of Disney’s other Marvel projects, on top of other Disney bombs like the divisive “Indiana Jones and Dial of Destiny.”)
And yes, it’s pretty clear that Disney is feeling the brunt of these box office failures given the general tumult the company is grappling with.
Given all of that… Yes, “Deadpool 3,” headlined by actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is shaping up to be one of the most important films in the history of Marvel movies because the MCU, not unlike the hapless innocents in superhero films, desperately needs some saving.
Now in Hugh Res pic.twitter.com/UiuoaECMVp
— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) July 10, 2023
And “X-Men: First Class” director Matt Vaughn thinks that “Deadpool 3” is more than up to that lofty task.
Vaughn spoke to BroBible’s Post-Credit Podcast and covered a wide swathe of topics, including his desire to direct the popular “Red Son” storyline for Superman (imagine if Superman crash landed in the USSR instead of Smallville, Kansas) and his willingness to direct the upcoming “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” movie.
But it was Vaughn’s assessment of “Deadpool 3” that garnered the most eyeballs — and for good reason. Saving the MCU, let alone with just a single movie, seems like an awfully tall task.
‘X-Men: First Class’ director Matthew Vaughn says #Deadpool3 will “save” the MCU 👀
“The snippets that I know are unbelievable. Marvel is about to have a jolt, it’s going to bring that body back to life. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are about to save the whole Marvel universe” pic.twitter.com/GWsfdiwaMo
— Post Cred Pod (@PostCredPod) January 30, 2024
“The few snippets that I know about Deadpool vs. Wolverine — or Wolverine vs. Deadpool, I’m sure that argument between Ryan and Hugh is happening as we speak — are unbelievable,” Vaughn told the podcast.
The 52-year-old director added: “That’s going to be the jolt… the Marvel universe is about to have a jolt of them and it’s going to bring that body back to life… I think Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are about to save the whole Marvel universe.”
Are you interested in seeing “Deadpool 3”?
And while this writer is very excited for this film, it might be best to temper expectations just a tad.
First and foremost, the movie faces an inherent uphill battle because of its R-rating. There’s a natural audience you’re cutting out immediately by requiring parents to buy tickets for anyone under 17 years old.
Second, Deadpool’s raunchy, bloody, violent and juvenile sense of humor is certainly an acquired taste. It’s not for everyone.
Lastly, it’s hard to ignore the fact that — despite the ratings — this is still a film under Disney and Marvel’s purview. That doesn’t engender a ton of confidence.
Regardless, moviegoers over the age of 17 (or with parental accompaniment) will be able to judge for themselves when “Deadpool 3” drops on July 26, 2024.
