Deadpool, Marvel's chaotic antihero and king of breaking the fourth wall, might be stepping out of the spotlight and into someone else's movie. In a candid chat with Andrew Garfield during Variety's Actors on Actors, Ryan Reynolds gave fans a glimpse into the future of Wade Wilson in the MCU. The takeaway? Expect Deadpool to show up in surprising ways, but don't bank on him always leading the charge.
"I see Deadpool as a supporting character"
“I see Deadpool as a supporting character much more than he is a main [character] or at the center,” Reynolds admitted.
While fans have come to love Deadpool as the center of his own chaos-filled universe, Reynolds believes the character thrives in scarcity and surprise.
“We center him sometimes because that’s what they want. But you can’t center him unless you take everything away from him. You have to create a situation where he’s so much the underdog. And I don’t think I can do that again,” he explained.
Instead, Reynolds hinted at Deadpool joining other Marvel heroes in their adventures:
“If he comes back, I think he’s going to be in someone else’s movie. Channing Tatum is so excited to play Gambit, I would happily be the fifth banana in his movie or anybody else’s.”
Balancing chaos and life
Reynolds also opened up about the personal challenges of being at the center of a franchise like Deadpool:
“My feeling is that [the] character works very well in two ways. One is scarcity and surprise. It had been six years since the last one, and part of the reason is that it swallows my whole life.
Then he continued:
“You can’t take your hand off the stick all the way through development and post-production into marketing and promo. Then you kind of — I have four kids, and I don’t ever want to be on a first-name basis with any of them. I don’t ever want to be absentee and miss stuff. I, like, kind of die inside when I see their face and they have a competition, or a sports thing, or something, and I missed it.”
The weight of responsibility for such a massive character is one that Reynolds doesn't take lightly. Deadpool's irreverence might seem effortless on screen, but behind the scenes, the character requires constant oversight to maintain the tone we love.
Deadpool 3: A complete experience
With Deadpool 3 already confirmed, Reynolds and director Shawn Levy are focused on delivering a standalone story rather than just another cog in Marvel's expansive machine.
“Shawn and I made the movie to have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and be a complete experience instead of a commercial for another one. I think it’s important, sometimes, to make space for a movie to just be a movie,” Reynolds emphasized.
This approach highlights Reynolds' dedication to storytelling over spectacle. While the MCU often ties its films into larger arcs, Deadpool 3 aims to stand out as a self-contained chapter—perhaps a rarity in today's interconnected cinematic landscape.
What's next for Deadpool?
While Deadpool's standalone future remains uncertain after the third installment, speculation is high about his involvement in larger MCU projects like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Given his penchant for scene-stealing, we can expect Wade Wilson to bring his signature blend of chaos and commentary to the ensemble.
Reynolds' comment about Deadpool thriving on "scarcity and surprise" suggests that the character's appearances will be carefully curated, ensuring every moment packs a punch. Whether he's trading quips with Spider-Man, making digs at Thor's Asgardian grandeur, or riffing off Gambit's Southern charm, Deadpool has the potential to energize any narrative he joins.
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In a universe bursting with superheroes, Deadpool's shift to a supporting role might be exactly what's needed to keep him fresh and even more unpredictable. His journey from headliner to scene-stealer proves that even in the Marvel universe, sometimes less really is more.
Deadpool might not always be center stage, but let's be real—he'll find a way to make every moment his. Who's ready to see the Merc with a Mouth pop up where we least expect him?
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