Credit: 20th Century StudiosDeadpool’s presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been loud, chaotic, and impossible to ignore — until now. After crashing into the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine and scoring a monstrous box-office haul, many expected Wade Wilson to ride the momentum straight into Avengers: Doomsday. Instead, the character has taken an unexpected detour — not away from the spotlight, but into a completely different medium.
Ryan Reynolds may be taking a breather from the suit, but Deadpool’s voice is alive again — just not where fans expected it. Meta’s new single-player hack-and-slash title “Deadpool VR” was launched for Quest 3 and 3S on November 18, marking the character’s first major dive into virtual reality. The surprise? It isn’t Reynolds behind the mic. Instead, the Merc with a Mouth is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, best known for How I Met Your Mother.
Harris leans into the role with timing that echoes Reynolds’ delivery, but it’s clearly his own take — not an impression.
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The game puts players in Deadpool’s shoes — weapons, sarcasm, and fourth-wall-breaking included. Marvel hasn’t committed to Reynolds’ return, and this project feels like a testing ground for how flexible the character can be outside of live action.
Marvel appears to be spreading its major players across different mediums. Logan’s next stop is Insomniac’s “Marvel’s Wolverine”, which will also feature a new actor, while Deadpool gets his VR debut without Reynolds’ involvement. That strategy comes into focus when looking at the apparent absence of both characters from Avengers: Doomsday.
The ensemble for that film is stacked: Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn are just a handful of names — but there’s no Reynolds, and no Hugh Jackman.
Robert Downey Jr. also returns, this time as Doctor Doom.
Reynolds addressed his future as the Merc with a Mouth while promoting Deadpool & Wolverine last year, telling Collider that he’s unlikely to make a fourth film: “Right now’s the time to just kind of hang it up [the suit] for a bit and see what happens next.”
Would you like to see Deadpool return to the MCU? Or do you think Neil Patrick Harris could also play the character in live action? Sound off in the comments!