Credit: Marvel StudiosRyan Reynolds has confirmed that his version of Deadpool will no longer appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Back in 2024, Marvel Studios took a big swing with its first R-rated movie of the MCU. Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular superheroes, was a highly anticipated entry into Phase Four, and marked the first time both characters had existed inside of the main MCU continuity; previously, these X-Men franchise characters had only operated within the 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) universe.
Marvel’s risk paid off. Deadpool & Wolverine netted over $1.3 billion at the global box office, breaking a lukewarm streak from 2023. While James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) produced a respectable $845 million, it was sandwiched between two commercial misfires: Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels (2023).
A major draw for audiences, as well as the R-rating, was the return of Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine. Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth has long been a popular character in the comic book movie world ever since his redemption in Deadpool (2016) and its sequel Deadpool 2 (2018). As for Hugh Jackman, his tenure as one of Marvel’s most famous heroes speaks for itself.
While Deadpool & Wolverine was incredibly popular, neither character has been officially confirmed for Marvel Studios’ upcoming ensemble event, Avengers: Doomsday (2026). The fifth Avengers movie will land on December 18, 2026, and feature one of the largest casts ever assembled. The movie will include the return of Robert Downey Jr. (this time as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom), Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Newer characters from the Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts teams will also feature in the Phase Six blockbuster.
There are rumors that Hugh Jackman will open the movie, fighting against Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, but those have yet to be confirmed. The premise of Doomsday is still under wraps, though multiple insiders have suggested that Multiversal collapse is the movie’s main theme.
Both Deadpool and Wolverine will likely appear in the movie, but recent comments suggest that if Reynolds’ anti-hero returns, it will be in a completely different capacity. On the TODAY Sunday Sitdown Live show, the Hollywood actor expressed that Deadpool’s current stance in the Marvel universe is compromised due to what has happened to the character already.
“I don’t think I’m going to center [Deadpool] again. I think he’s a supporting character, you know? He’s a guy that’s great in a group,” Reynolds explained.
Reynolds had already expressed his feelings about Deadpool’s next chapter in 2024.
“Centering Deadpool works best if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall. I can’t really do that again,” he told The Hollywood Reporter over a year ago. “A fourth time feels a little iterative and redundant. That doesn’t mean sacrificing fun. There is still an arc for Deadpool, which is fulfilling and powerful.”
This means that if Wade Wilson steps back into the MCU in the coming Phase Six movies or even in Phase Seven, it won’t be into the spotlight. Of course, things can change, but as Reynolds explains, Deadpool will likely act as a supporting character for what is being coined the Mutant Saga–the upcoming era of the MCU following Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). This ties into what Reynolds was talking about in the months succeeding the release of Deadpool & Wolverine.
“I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted,” Reynolds told The Hollywood Reporter. “His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
Regardless of what happens with Deadpool, there is plenty of space for his return into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Phase Six draws to a close and Phase Seven begins. With multiple release slots open, don’t take a sequel to Deadpool & Wolverine off the table, either. That said, if Ryan Reynolds’ thoughts are anything to go by, it seems that the next time audiences encounter the Merc with a Mouth, it will be alongside the much-anticipated X-Men mutants.
In the end, the front-and-center Deadpool character that fans have come to expect over the last decade essentially no longer exists. Only time will tell how Marvel Studios intends to bring this character back to the franchise, but the focus will surely be on whether a supporting version of Deadpool will work just as well as the main character role many fans have come to love.
How do you feel about a new version of Deadpool coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do you think it will work? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
