The once invincible superhero universe has seemed increasingly vulnerable recently. Its atypically foul-mouthed and adult new entry is predicted to be huge – even as it mocks its own brand. Lewd, rude and dangerous to know, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool is no cog in the Disney machine.
That's what the cast and crew of the first R-rated superhero adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would have us believe. It's a message that may alienate some punters, and be gratefully received by others, but while some of Marvel's recent big and small screen offerings have flopped , Shawn Levy's Deadpool & Wolverine – which imports two beloved mutants from the 21st Century Fox X-Men film series – could be the biggest hit of the summer. Current projections suggest it will have a $160m+ opening in the US (ie even bigger than the recent opening for Inside Out 2 , which leads 2024 so far).
But could there be hidden costs for Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, in welcoming Reynolds' anarchic anti-hero into the fold? The movie's co-writers, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, worked on the first two Deadpool movies and were responsible for many of the most outrageous gags; initially sidelined by the Disney powers that be, the pair managed to get themselves re-hired, in 2022. The script they and Reynolds have put together apparently makes Feige part of the story. We already know, from the trailers, that Deadpool will quip that cocaine is "the only thing Feige said was off limits!" Such comments.
