Ryan Reynolds Talks About the Future of DEADPOOL and X-FORCE as Disney / Fox Merger Continues Toward Finalization

DEADPOOL 2 is ready for release, but there are some questions hovering over the franchise as its future is unknown with the Disney and Fox merger still being finalized.

Fans of the Merc With a Mouth are hopeful Disney will maintain the status quo for the Deadpool franchise and actor Ryan Reynolds told Entertainment Weekly pretty much the same.

“I really genuinely don’t know a thing about it. I read that [CEO and chairman] Bob Iger felt that there’s plenty of room in that universe to have a rated-R character like Deadpool. This is completely conjecture on my part, but I wouldn’t imagine that Disney bought Fox to dismantle it or something like that. I think that Disney bought Fox so it could have that in its arsenal.”

Meanwhile, DEADPOOL 2 should, in theory, do enough during its box office run to ensure DEADPOOL 3 is green lit. However, and before DEADPOOL 3 happens, it is obvious through its trailers and TV spots that DEADPOOL 2 is setting up an ensemble X-FORCE movie starring Deadpool (and most likely Cable and Domino) prior to any possible DEADPOOL 3 movie. 

Reynolds told EW how he is not sure about DEADPOOL 3 right now.

“I don’t know that there would be a Deadpool 3. I really don’t. I feel like the character, in order for him to function properly within his own universe, you need to take everything away from him. I don’t think that you can keep doing that. I do see him as being a part of X-Force, obviously. I would love to see him in a team-up sort of thing, like a mano a mano or a great female character from the X-Men universe. I just think if you’re going to do another Deadpool solo film, you’ve got to really, like, get that budget down to nothing and just swing for the fences, and break all kinds of weird barriers, and do stuff that no one else can do.”

As Reynolds pretty much said, it would be stupid for Disney to put a stop to R-rated Deadpool and X-Force movies when the merger is complete. Especially since Disney is in the entertainment business to make money, and Deadpool makes a ton of money in the box office, in merchandise, and in toy sales. So yeah, it seems like Disney would definitely want to continue Fox's strongest franchise as-is, post-merger.

Plus, if you think about it, if Disney let Marvel Studios bring Deadpool into their PG-13 Marvel Cinematic Universe even for just a cameo, the meta-commentary of the foul-mouthed Merc not being able to swear, or be filthy, or be too violent easily writes itself into funny moments.

DEADPOOL 2 releases in the U.S. on May 18.

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