Credit: 20th Century StudiosThe Deadpool film series has become one of the most successful superhero franchises of the past decade, largely thanks to Ryan Reynolds’ performance as the foul-mouthed Marvel antihero.
Starting with Deadpool (2016) and continuing with Deadpool 2 (2018), the character quickly carved out a unique place in the superhero landscape, mixing R-rated humor with comic-book action. Reynolds returned for a third time in Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024 alongside Hugh Jackman’s Logan, bringing the long-running Fox Marvel era to a celebratory close.
But despite that film’s huge box-office success ($1.338 billion worldwide), Reynolds’ future in the MCU is uncertain.
Will Ryan Reynolds Return?
During the promotional tour for Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, Reynolds admitted he wasn’t sure what the future holds for the character. “I have no idea if I’ll ever wear that Deadpool suit again,” he told Collider, adding, “I hope I do — but I don’t know.”
Since then, the actor has taken a step back from the role in other corners of the franchise. He was replaced by Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) in last year’s Deadpool VR, a move that surprised some fans who have long associated the character with Reynolds’ performance.
Related: Goodbye, Ryan Reynolds: Actor Replaced as Deadpool in New Marvel Project
Now, the actor has also been recast as Hal Jordan in DC Studios’ Lanterns, which recently released its first trailer.
In the series, Hal is played by Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street), marking a new take on the Green Lantern mythos after Reynolds previously portrayed the hero in the 2011 film, which was a critical and commercial failure.
Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl around Marvel Studios’ upcoming crossover movie Avengers: Doomsday (2026), with some speculation suggesting Deadpool could appear in the Multiverse-spanning story, though nothing has been officially confirmed.
Will Deadpool 4 Happen?
For now, there are no official plans for Deadpool 4. Director Shawn Levy, who helmed Deadpool & Wolverine, previously acknowledged the challenge of continuing the series.
“I’m a fan of a lot of threes in the trilogies of movies,” he told Kevin McCarthy (via The Playlist) in 2025. “I love Back to the Future 3. I love Return of the King. [Endgame was] such a superior audience experience.”
He added: “When you are telling a story that has the benefit of [a] legacy connection between the audience and the characters, you’re sort of like on second base already. When I look at Deadpool & Wolverine, that became a love letter to that [20th Century Fox] legacy. We were also able to tap into years of legacy storytelling.”
“I don’t know about rule of threes, ’cause the truth is, as I contemplate, for instance, ‘Okay, how do we make another Deadpool movie?’” he explained. “Sequels are hard. They are dauntingly hard. I made three Night at the Museum movies. It kicked my ass every time. And so, yeah, having seen how the sausage of sequels is made, I find the whole subject a little stressful because you want to get it right.”
Adding to the discussion is TJ Miller, who starred as Weasel in Deadpool and Deadpool 2.
In a recent interview with 101 WRIF Detroit, Miller addressed Reynolds’ comments and the ongoing speculation about a fourth Deadpool film. “It has not sailed,” Miller said when asked if Weasel could return, adding, “And that’s all I’m going to say about that. Okay. Marvel gets so weird about this stuff. They’re just like, don’t talk about it, don’t talk about it. … And I will also say that his [Reynolds’] idea for the next Deadpool film is, like, really good. You know, it’s just, it is really smart.”
Given the enormous success of Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s hard to imagine Disney and Marvel ignoring the possibility of bringing the Merc with a Mouth back for another adventure.
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