Credit: Marvel StudiosHindsight really is 20/20.
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During the recent Super Bowl LVIII, The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios unveiled a significant announcement: the highly anticipated third installment of the Deadpool film series, previously referred to as Deadpool 3, has now been retitled as Deadpool & Wolverine.
Ryan Reynolds, famed for his portrayal of Deadpool/Wade Wilson (dubbed “Marvel Jesus” by himself), joined forces with his “frenemy” Hugh Jackman, celebrated for his depiction of Wolverine/Logan in the Fox X-Men Universe. Together, they revealed that the Deadpool series would persist, seamlessly transitioning into Disney’s MCU under the stewardship of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
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The Multiverse Saga phase will now see the Fox X-Men Universe converge with the vast MCU, and Marvel now faces the challenge of incorporating the mutant-focused X-Men universe into the narrative of the third Deadpool movie.
Helmed by Shawn Levy, notable for his directorial role in Deadpool 2, this latest installment in the Deadpool franchise will integrate into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which is now rebranded as 20th Century Studios.
It was Levy himself who took over from the first Deadpool (2016) director Tim Miller, and will now lead the transition from the Fox universe over to the Marvel Studios one. And it was Levy too who nearly directed a solo Wolverine project starring Jackman.
The Solo Wolverine Film That Could Have Been
In retrospect, it appears that Shawn Levy’s “deep regret” for passing on The Wolverine (2013) project back in 2010 might have shifted the X-Men franchise into something entirely different. Speaking to Empire, Levy is now expressing regret for turning Jackman down, and explaining the circumstances behind it:
“When we were making Real Steel, Hugh was looking to do The Wolverine, and he asked me if I wanted to do it. And like a moron, I said, ‘No’. Because I was thinking at that time, ‘Well, it’s your fifth time playing the character, I’m doing original films et cetera’. And I regretted it deeply for years. And so, when the opportunity came around again, thank God I was older and wiser enough to jump at the opportunity.”
With Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man making the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Chris Evans bidding farewell to his portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America, symbolically passing on the Captain’s mantle, a significant opportunity emerges for fresh superhero squads such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men to assume prominent roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Do you think a Shawn Levy-directed solo Wolverine movie would have been a good idea? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Deadpool & Wolverine
Several X-Men characters are alleged to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine and the X-Men MCU venture. Among them are Halle Berry returning to her role as Ororo Munroe/Storm, Famke Janssen reprising character Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, and the beloved Patrick Stewart returning as the iconic Professor Charles Xavier/Professor X, alongside Ian McKellen taking on Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto once again.
There is also some likelihood that the new Marvel film will include the younger versions of Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique from the Fox X-Men franchise, portrayed by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively.