Maybe.
Since the R-rated franchise joined the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), there’s been questions about how the R-rated Deadpool will fit in amongst PG-13, Disney+ family fare.
Full disclosure: I showed them Spiderman 1 & 2 and told them it was Deadpool 1 & 2. #Deadpool3 https://t.co/N0IGDbpBK0
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) January 11, 2021
IS DEADPOOL AN AVENGER NOW?
How exactly did Deadpool end up in the same place as Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow and the gang?
Well, it’s complicated: Deadpool first appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (kicking off Hugh Jackman’s and Ryan Reynolds’s ongoing social media “feud”). When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, the X-Men franchise, as well as Deadpool, was included. (Disney has owned Marvel since 2009).
WHAT ABOUT DEADPOOL 3?
What does all this change mean for the superhero with deep ties to Canada (alongside Superman who was co-created by a Canadian but, to be clear, is part of the DC Comics and born-in-Alberta Wolverine)?
The first Vancouver-filmed Deadpool was a surprise hit on a budget; it cost $58 million to make and raked in over $780 million worldwide. Deadpool 2 had double the budget ($110 million) and filmed in the summer of 2017, with Reynolds being his usual affable self and stopping for fan photos between takes.
The first film opened with a tongue-in-cheek car chase set on the Georgia Viaduct, set against the Vancouver skyline. Many other iconic landmarks were part of Deadpool (and the sequel), from the No. 5 Orange to Hatley Castle in Victoria to the defunct Riverview Hospital to Five Star Coin Laundry on Hastings Street.
There’s no official start date for Deadpool 3 but there has been a major new development as Shawn Levy has been announced as director, which means that production is ramping up. Levy most recently directed the Vancouver-filmed The Adam Project starring (who else?) Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. The Levy-Reynolds combination is a successful one. The Adam Project has accumulated more than 900 million viewing hours on Netflix since it dropped.
There wasn’t something in my eyes. I was crying. Lucky to know @ShawnLevyDirect. Equally lucky to work with him each day. He leaves it all on the field. Next adventure is gonna be a doozy. ⚔️ https://t.co/f3jVKwURjt
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 14, 2022
Netflix In Your Neighbourhood has a cool interactive map that shows where The Adam Project filming took place, including Ryan’s childhood neighbourhood of Kitsilano, UBC (which is one of the most filmed locations in the world) and Gastown’s The Blarney Stone.
When Deadpool 3 goes into production, Vancouver seems like an obvious choice, but will the Marvel/Disney partnership change that? Marvel movies are filmed all over the world, with a concentration in Atlanta, Burbank and London. Does that mean Deadpool’s rainy days are done? We’ll have to keep an eye on Reynolds’s social media for NSFW updates.
