Disney acquired by Fox in early 2019, the future of the X-Men movies and Deadpool, in particular, became unclear. Marvel would have to decide whether to keep the two continuities separate or find a way to narratively unite them. When Disney revealed their upcoming Marvel lineup, last December 10 during their Disney’s Investors Day, there was no mention of Deadpool 3, leading fans to believe that Deadpool and the X-Men movies would not be folded into the MCU. But now, it seems like Deadpool will be making his way to the MCU after all. In an interview with Collider, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that Deadpool 3 will in fact be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, existing alongside the Avengers. However, this doesn’t mean that the Deadpool franchise will have to be sanitized for a younger audience; Feige confirmed that Deadpool 3 will still be targeted at adults and will keep its R-rating. Filming for Deadpool 3 isn’t expected to begin until 2022.
Deadpool is one of those characters that you can love or hate, but can never ignore. When Deadpool first arrived in 2016, the fans went gaga over the character. And Ryan Reynolds’s performance as Wade Wilson, a.k.a., Deadpool was simply outstanding. Deadpool 2 came in 2018, and it was received by the audience even better. A character that is straightforward, strong, has a friendly nemesis within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that is Wolverine, and definitely, a foul mouth, is loved by everyone without a doubt. With no question, he’s an undeniable part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise has previously been considered part of the continuity of the X-Men movies owned by Fox. But it was narratively different from the Disney-Owned Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There is also one pre-existing character who could be an exception for Disney and Marvel:
Wolverine
After the incredible success of Logan, an R-rated film featuring Wolverine seems like a no-brainer. Wolverine’s visceral fighting style lends itself well to R-rated stories. While Wolverine stories have worked on film without the R-rating, it’s hard to go back after Logan reinvented the character for the screen.
Blade
Blade centers around vampirism, and while it is possible to do vampires without reaching an R-rating, the sexually-charged and bloody affairs of vampire hunting lend themselves more to R than PG-13. MCU brings Blade back, it might have more opportunities to showcase the bloody horror of vampires in Marvel’s universe. This is especially true if other monster characters, like Werewolf by Night, are incorporated.
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider can afford to feature gorier fights throughout. For instance, he smacks demons with a chain, which does not leave a clean, open wound. The violence, along with the fact he is powered by hellfire, can make Ghost Rider a genuinely threatening character rather than just a cool superhero.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight’s mental health is something that could also be relayed in a compelling fashion in an R-rated film. In the comics, he has delusions surrounding his meetings with the god Khonshu, and the MCU should not hold back when it comes to representing this. Having an R-rating means the filmmakers wouldn’t be restricted when it comes to depicting the god or Moon Knight’s struggles with mental health.
The Hood
Parker Robbins, a.k.a. the Hood, was introduced at the start of the Marvel MAX line, the same line that ran adult-centered content focused on Blade, Wolverine, the Punisher, and many others. The Hood gained his powers after stealing a cloak that belonged — unbeknownst to him — to a demon empowered by Dormammu. This makes him a compelling and unique character; however, as seen with Daredevil and Jessica Jones, it is hard to explore the criminal underworld in a sincere way without going all-out.
The Immortal Hulk
The Immortal Hulk could fit into films centered around any number of other characters mentioned earlier, like Wolverine or Ghost Rider. Regardless of how it happens, The Immortal Hulk would be incredible to see on the big screen, but it may be all but impossible to convince Disney to turn one of its biggest icons into one of its biggest sources of fear.
All this will definitely amount to a lot of new additions to the MCU and fans will only have one choice, which goes gaga over the fact that even though so many characters.
