Credit: 20th Century StudiosThe Walt Disney Company has officially made a huge change to its Marvel brand, reminding fans that, unfortunately, Deadpool is blocked.
Marvel is a huge staple in pop culture history. The superhero giant behind characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and teams such as the X-Men and Avengers has been entertaining fans through comic books, TV shows, novels, and movies for the last eight decades.
Marvel Comics may be the inspiration behind Disney’s huge Marvel Cinematic Universe, coordinated by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, but Marvel Comics itself was once something else–Timely Comics and then Atlas Comics. In 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby debuted the Fantastic Four, and the rest, they say, is history.
Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe not only includes the characters featured in the pages of comic books but, more often than not, brings plot points, story arcs, and relationships directly to the screen. There is creative freedom, though, and the writers and the directors of the many MCU projects deliver altogether different experiences for audiences to enjoy.
At present, the MCU is readying to add the Merc with a Mouth to its ranks with Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) this July. The addition of Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), as well as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), comes five years after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox and its 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) subsidiary.
Deadpool & Wolverine looks set to reboot Disney’s struggling MCU with new Multiverse rules and mechanics. Reynolds’ Wade Wilson even stated in the first teaser trailer that the cinematic universe would “change forever.” Levy’s Marvel movie will also seemingly feature a large number of cameos from across the Disney and Fox Marvel live-action universes.
Deadpool may be about to be all over the big screen (especially with its record-breaking ticket pre-sales and massive project opening), but he’s officially been blocked by Marvel Comics.
The official Marvel Comics X (formerly Twitter) account has announced a rebrand for the historic company. Sharing to its over 200,000 followers, the Marvel Comics HQ (@MarvelComicsHQ) brand revealed its new strategy to engage fans:
Hard launch Welcome to @MarvelComicsHQ, where you can find all things related to your favorite Marvel stories.
We’re talking:
• Weekly Comic Updates – Wednesday Warriors, we’re reading and reacting along with you every week.• Reading Recs – The vast Marvel Universe can be hard to navigate, so we’re here to help!
• Behind the Scenes Content – How do comics get made? We’ve got the all-access pass to the writers, artists, and editors who build the House of Ideas.
• News – New titles? New art? New plot points? You’ll hear it here first.
• Fun Stuff – (In our best JJJ voice) WE’RE HERE TO BRING YOU PICTURES OF SPIDER-MAN!!!
Hard launch 👀 Welcome to @MarvelComicsHQ, where you can find all things related to your favorite Marvel stories.
We're talking:
• Weekly Comic Updates – Wednesday Warriors, we're reading and reacting along with you every week.• Reading Recs – The vast Marvel Universe can be… pic.twitter.com/qhVyoq0fX0
— Marvel Comics (@MarvelComicsHQ) June 16, 2024
Related: ‘Deadpool’ To Be Reshot After Details of “Mind-Blowing” Post-Credits Scene Emerge: Report
The brand also debuted a new logo, which looks rather familiar. By replicating a similar style to the Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation logos, Marvel Comics becomes more of a synergetic property. Judging by the 40-plus comments on the June 16 announcement, fans are already buying into this updated look.
As for Deadpool, the wise-cracking, foul-mouthed, gun-slinging assassin has been blocked by the account. The Marvel Comics HQ bio reads: “Here to talk comics. @Deadpool, you’re still blocked.”
While this is obviously in jest, it also helps build Deadpool’s brand identity—that of a character who is perhaps the most outrageous in MCU history. The R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine will be the first MCU movie not to hold the traditional PG-13 rating, and judging by reception so far, Disney and Marvel have struck gold.
Of course, a character’s popularity is only as powerful as the person behind it. The charismatic Ryan Reynolds, playing Wade Wilson alongside his best friend Hugh Jackman, has proven to be the perfect cocktail to get Marvel fans excited about going to the movies again.
Related: Marvel Officially Bans Deadpool, Now-Removed Star Speaks Out
With the year completely open except for Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios has really given space to the movie and stirred up excitement ever since the original teaser trailer that aired at Super Bowl LVIII was released. From “Marvel Jesus” to the very, very interesting popcorn bucket discourse and all the innuendo-laden marketing, Disney is really going all in on the Merc.
Deadpool & Wolverine will debut exclusively in movie theaters on July 26. As for the characters in the comic books, throughout the next few weeks, Deadpool will return to kill the Marvel Universe–yes, including the beloved New Yorker Spider-Man. Variant covers of Deadpool slaying superheroes will appear with issues of currently running series such as “Doctor Strange,” “Miles Morales: Spider-Man,” and “Venom.”
Did you notice this huge change to Marvel Comics? Are you looking forward to Deadpool & Wolverine? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!