Well, it’s finally happened. After a lot of rumors and hurdles to jump, Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox is closed. While this is a complex situation with a lot of moving parts, Marvel film fans are rejoicing at the prospect of seeing some of their beloved characters finally joining to MCU. While there’s still a lot of question about how any of these characters will fit into the existing universe, one of the biggest question marks is Deadpool.
Unlike the X-Men and Fantastic Four films Fox has developed, Deadpool is actually very successful. This is not a franchise that would be easily rebooted. But does the boundary-pushing humor of Deadpool mesh well with the family friendly image of Disney? It’s a complicated situation, but here are some ways Deadpool can work over at Disney.
Rated R
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Deadpool needs to be R-rated. The character is violent and vulgar, and to try to tone it down would be a disaster. Even the current franchise couldn’t make PG-13 work. If Disney wants to use the character they’ll have to get dirty.
There has already been some talk of R-rated MCU films, and Deadpool is the perfect character to test it out. With a character already proven to work in that area, it would hardly be a risk for them at all and might lead to more R-rated films.
Maintain Continuity
As crazy as it would be to make PG-13 Deadpool, it would be equally crazy to reboot the existing franchise. Ryan Reynolds has done a lot with the character and Disney should not underestimate how important his leg work has been.
Deadpool is a difficult character to crack, but Reynolds and company have successfully brought him to the big screen. Luckily, with his fourth-wall-breaking habits, he might be the only characters who can bring with existing franchise over to Disney without skipping a beat.
Don’t Ignore The Elephant In The Room
While exciting to some fans, this merger is a little messier than it seems. The X-Men franchise is still ongoing and there are several films in various stages of production. That likely all comes to an end now.
Some fans of the Fox films might not be happy about the new deal and that’s going to be hard to ignore when they start integrating all these properties. That’s why Deadpool is such a valuable character. He can openly discuss the changes instead of pretending everything is normal. In the end, he could be the character best used to bridge the gap.
Keep It Small
One of the greatest jokes from Deadpool was how the budget could only afford two X-Men. It’s a fun bit of meta humor, but as it turns out, that smaller budget actually better served the film.
The Deadpool films, while slick and action-packed, are some of the more reasonable superhero budgets. Deadpool is not a hero to be saving the world from alien invasions, therefore his films can function on a smaller scale which can be a little refreshing. Save the $200 million budgets to the bigger names.
Let Him Poke Fun
At this point, the MCU is standing on some pretty solid ground. Every film they put out is a hit with audiences and most critics, they’re leading up to the massive Avengers: Endgame, and they’ve just reacquired some of their biggest properties. We think they can handle to be the butt of a few jokes.
As ground-breaking as the MCU is, it’s not perfect. There are certain things people could quibble about. It would be a mistake to not allow Deadpool full range with how he ridicules his new home. Nothing seems off-topic for him so Disney and the MCU should be no different.
Give Ryan Reynolds Control
From the earliest discussions of a Deadpool movie, Ryan Reynolds was always a name attached as a possible star. Despite the rough start with the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds has since proven he was born to play the role.
Not only is Reynolds perfect casting for the lead role, he also has an intense passion and understanding of the character. If Disney is lucky enough to keep him around, they should allow Reynolds to take the reigns of the franchise and let him go wild.
Keep Him Out Of The MCU
The thrill of the MCU is the amazing crossover potential. While the merger means even more crossover potential, it would be a mistake to let Deadpool wonder outside his own franchise.
Deadpool is too bizarre a character to pop up with the Avengers. As fun as it would be to see, his presence in the MCU wouldn’t make sense. His fourth-wall-breaking and R-rated content just don’t work in that world. He’s better off staying in his own separate universe where he can be himself.
But Bring The MCU To Him
While it wouldn’t make sense for Deadpool to exist in the MCU, it would make perfect sense for the MCU to exist in a Deadpool movie. This is a very unique character who the rules don’t apply to, therefore, any character could appear in his films without worry of impacting the overall universe.
You could have Thor and Captain America and they would be the Deadpool versions of those characters. It could be an alternate timeline that exists only in Deadpool’s mind. This could lead to a lot of fun cameos where we’d see our favorite characters in an R-rated setting.
Take Advantage Of Disney Property
It’s not just the Marvel properties that Deadpool can now play with, but the entire Disney catalogue. Given how much fun the first two Deadpool films had with just the X-Men universe, imagine what the character can do in this whole new world (Aladdin reference intended).
Hopefully, Disney allows Ryan Reynolds and company to go wild with the whole universe and take full advantage of the merger and all the great toys that come along with it. We’d love to see the Pixar version of Deadpool eventually.
Know When To Stop
As beloved as he is, Deadpool’s popularity might not be as lasting as some of the other heroes. He is a character who might work best in small doses and, therefore, the people behind the franchise should be conscious of overstaying their welcome.
Ryan Reynolds has already wondered about the end of the franchise. Instead of letting audiences get tired of the character, they should try to leave them wanting more. Perhaps Deadpool 3 should be the final entry, and with the new merger, what story would be a better fit than Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. Talk about a big finish.
