Barbie fanart combined the meta Margot Robbie movie with arguably the most meta character ever to grace the movie screen, Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool.
The Barbie fan-made poster revealed the two of them teaming up in Barbie's trademark car, and as she's making a spectacle of herself, the Merc with the Mouth is hilariously covered up. This fits his character, knowing how much Deadpool likes to subvert expectations as the story's "technical" protagonist.
The fan poster by Rahal Arts features Robbie's Barbie and Reynolds' Deadpool appearing together in what would be quite the meta-collaboration between the two knowing that their films focus a lot on breaking the fourth wall. The caption of the fanart reads, "She's everything. He's just Deadpool," thus signifying that despite it being a collaboration, it is primarily a Barbie movie at heart. While Deadpool has the iconic toy on his shoulders, her hand hilariously covers his face, only adding to the humor that this fan-made poster would be going for.
Since the Barbie movie has advertised itself as a live-action interpretation of the famous toy doll who suddenly begins to realize the world is not what how she perceived it, who better for her to learn that from than Deadpool, one of the comic books' first characters to call out and satirize tropes from the world he comes from? At first glance, it seems like an unorthodox pairing since Barbie has never been one to be fourth-wall-breaking, but knowing where the movie intends to go, Deadpool would be the perfect partner to help her realize the real world is not as happy-go-lucky as hers.
Even though both movie franchises will rely on meta-humor, Barbie's fourth wall breaking is a commentary on how the real world differs from Barbie's superficial world that fans always saw in advertisements. On the other hand, Deadpool was an original take on the protagonist. Rather than being the straight-laced moral protagonist, he was a killer at heart, though he learned to only direct his killing ways at those who deserved it. Therefore, Deadpool is the subversion of the classic superhero archetype. In 2016, it was new material.
Meta humor has become a little more prominent in media, particularly following the release of the first Deadpool movie, to the point where audiences might be getting sick of this. Meta humor can be funny, but only when it's done right. Some franchises have used fourth-wall breaking to enhance the comedy, while others have used that comedic art form as more of a crutch. If there's one franchise that could benefit from breaking the fourth wall in a movie, it's Barbie.
Barbie is now playing in theaters.
Source: Rahal Arts/Twitter