Credit: Inside the MagicEven more than most big-budget movies made by massive media conglomerates, Deadpool & Wolverine is trying to sell every conceivable kind of product that can possibly be tied into the next big Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster.
Where movies like The Avengers (2012) or Captain America: Civil War (2016) might be used for a Burger King promotion and a whole lot of t-shirts and toys, the latest adventures of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), unkillable, snide super-mercenary, is selling just about anything anyone could think of.
Disney and Marvel Studios have not been achieving the kind of box office grosses they’re used to as of late (give or take an Inside Out 2 or two), so it is no surprise that the product synergy is going full-blast.
Related: Marvel Officially Changes Wolverine’s Name Before ‘Deadpool 3’
Among other things, Deadpool & Wolverine is hawking DiGiorno frozen pizza (“bringing the heat with a robust media campaign tied to character-inspired pizzas“) and Heineken Silver light beer (“Nothing gets you through the long and frequently confusing days in the Multiverse like the crisp & refreshing taste of Heineken Silver”).
Unlike the dignity of, say, the monarch of Wakanda or even the Master of the Mystic Arts, Deadpool has always indulged a crude sense of humor that allows Ryan Reynolds to make jokes at his own expense for being a sell-out while simultaneously selling out anyway.
That is likely why Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, as Deadpool and Wolverine, now have the dubious honor of being represented by Heinz Ketchup and Mustard. The new Deadpool movie is being paired with limited-edition collectibles that allow super-fans to decorate their condiment bottles to look like Wade Wilson and Logan. It is easier to show what this means than describe them, so:
Lizzy Goodman, Brand Communications Manager for HEINZ U.S. at The Kraft Heinz Company says, via statement:
“After seeing the conversation on social media highlighting the similarities between our two iconic duos – Deadpool & Wolverine and HEINZ Ketchup & Mustard – we knew we had to team up with the film. Once we made that connection – we couldn’t unsee it – as these similarities go beyond color. One’s sweet, one’s zesty. Everybody has a favorite, but really, they’re better together. And most importantly, whether at the movie theater or a cookout, both duos play starring roles in an epic summer.”
Unsurprisingly, Ryan Reynolds himself pitched in to provide a custom voiceover for a faux-Deadpool & Wolverine trailer that quickly morphs into a commercial for the Kraft Heinz Company. It can be watched here.
Related: Ryan Reynolds Says First Deadpool Was “One Of The All-time Foolish Studio Notes”
Ryan Reynolds also provided another tongue-in-cheek, theoretically amusing statement that indicates he is in on the joke and, thus, it is fine for him to shill for Heinz with the release of Deadpool ketchup and Wolverine sauce, saying:
“I don’t spend much time on the internet. When my assistant faxed me a photocopy of a memo (he spelled it ‘meme’ – ugh, assistants amirite?) wherein Deadpool and Wolverine were identified as a HEINZ Ketchup and Mustard bottle, respectively, I thought nothing of it and went back to my book and tea. But the faxes kept on coming! So, the idea was hatched to actually partner with HEINZ to bring this memo to life. Huzzah!”
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 26. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, Matthew Macfadyen as TVA agent Paradox, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, and Aaron Stanford.
Do you need your Heinz-brand condiments to be superhero-themed?