Ryan Reynolds recently posted a video on Twitter confirming a 2024 release date for Deadpool 3, as well as a tantalizing update on what the threequel will entail. Alongside Reynolds’ long-awaited return in the role of Deadpool, Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine. While Marvel fans are thrilled at the prospect of seeing Jackman in the role of Logan once again, and even more thrilled at the prospect of seeing the gruff, no-nonsense antihero interacting with the goofy, all-nonsense Merc with a Mouth, the question remains: how exactly will the already-dead adamantium-clawed mutant factor into Deadpool 3?
A lot of fans are worried that Jackman’s return as Wolverine will undermine the bittersweet finality of his performance in Logan. But the Deadpool movies have taken place in the present day, while Logan takes place in the dystopian near-future of 2029, when mutantkind is quickly becoming extinct, so there’s a big gap in the timeline for Deadpool 3 to have fun with. There’s also the possibility that Jackman’s existing Wolverine arc will be left to stand on its own and he’ll appear in Deadpool 3 as a variant while Deadpool tumbles through the MCU’s sprawling multiverse of madness on his way to Earth-616.
It’s possible that Reynolds has already revealed the storyline for Deadpool 3. Following the announcement that Wolvie will star alongside ‘Pool in his third solo outing, fans were quick to dig up an old tweet from Reynolds’ account that detailed the original plan for Deadpool 3. The actor posted, “Before Disney bought Fox, Deadpool 3 was gonna be a road trip between Deadpool and Logan. Rashomon style. For real.” Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon is both a masterfully crafted psychological thriller and the namesake of the “Rashomon effect.”
Examining the unreliability of eyewitness accounts, Rashomon revolves around several subjective, contradictory retellings of a brutal murder in the forest. So, the Deadpool threequel initially revolved around Wolverine being stuck in a car with ‘Pool (and possibly his personal chauffeur Dopinder), embarking on a long trip, as they each tell a different version of the same story. This premise would still work beautifully for the current incarnation of the threequel.
Fans don’t need to worry too much about how Wolverine will be incorporated into the new Deadpool movie. Thanks to his ability to break the fourth wall, the Merc with a Mouth can get away with anything. He can bend and reshape the canon to his will. The primary function of Deadpool 3 is to bring Wade Wilson out of the established world of Fox’s X-Men franchise and plant him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the only fan-favorite character whose arc wasn’t finished in the Fox universe, Deadpool is the only member of the existing X-Men ensemble who’s being carried over into the MCU; the rest will be getting a straightforward reboot.
It’s some stroke of luck that Deadpool is the only character Marvel Studios wants to keep in his previous form, because his self-awareness makes him by far the easiest character to transfer from one franchise into another. If the filmmakers want to be direct with it, they can have Deadpool address the Disney merger to the camera and literally say, “I’m in the MCU now.” They’ll surely get more creative with it than that, but the point is they have the freedom to do whatever they want with the franchise crossover. Kevin Feige or Mickey Mouse could even be featured as a character.
Since his universe is being left behind and he’s being introduced into a new one, Deadpool’s next solo movie is perhaps the only chance Hollywood will ever have to bring the “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe” comic book storyline to the big screen. Instead of hacking and slashing his way through the mainline Marvel Comics universe, Deadpool could hack and slash his way through the confusing, convoluted timelines of Fox’s X-Men franchise. Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier might be killed on-screen yet again.
Such a storyline was already teased in the time-traveling post-credits scene of Deadpool 2, in which ‘Pool saved Vanessa, killed the previous incarnation of himself from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and blew his actor’s brains out all over the script for Green Lantern. This would be a chance to indulge in a feature-length version of that. If Deadpool 3 follows a “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe” narrative, Wolverine could either join in the bloodshed or try his best to stop Deadpool from erasing his world. As an ageless mutant, Wolverine is the only X-Man who would be played by the same actor wherever (or whenever) Wade goes on the timeline.
As it stands, Reynolds and co. are two for two when it comes to awesome Deadpool movies, so whatever they have planned for the Wolverine team-up will probably continue that winning streak. Whether fans are in for some multiversal madness, a Rashomon-style road trip, or a unique take on “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe,” it’ll undoubtedly be a joy to see Reynolds and Jackman’s easy chemistry – and Deadpool and Wolverine’s biting back-and-forth – translated to the screen.
Deadpool 3 is set to be released on September 6, 2024.