The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for a decade, but its currently on the precipice of major changes. In addition to Avengers 4 completing many actors' contracts, the impending merger between Disney and Fox has the potential to bring in new characters to the shared universe. Chief among them is Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, who has become massively popular since the first film arrived in 2016.
Cinephiles and comic book fans are eager to see Wade Wilson cross over with the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, although there's no timeline or set plan for how/when that might occur. Kevin Feige was recently asked if Deadpool survived Thanos' finger snap of death from Avengers: Infinity War, to which the studio head said:
Technically speaking, he was not in the MCU. He was not in that cinematic universe, so he was not affected probably.
Well, that's no fun. Despite fans wanting Wade Wilson to finally come face to face with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, it looks like he wasn't affected by Thanos' finger snap. Mostly because he's in an entirely different shared universe... for now, at least.
Deadpool might not be in the right universe to be affected by Thanos' Infinity War ending, but that doesn't mean the Merc with a Mouth won't be referencing the events of Avengers: Infinity War. The Deadpool franchise has always leaned on its protagonist's ability to break the fourth wall, and make endless jokes about the superhero genre.
As such, Wade Wilson's next appearance will almost definitely talk about Thanos' finger snap, especially since the stakes have been so high for the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the Mad Titan showed up. And since Josh Brolin is playing both Thanos and Cable, the possibilities for jokes are endless.
While Deadpool wasn't affected by the finger snap of death, there's still hope that he and the X-Men will finally be able to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper, and therefore become involved in serialized storytelling and massive crossover projects. As Kevin Feige told Variety his conversation about Deadpool:
What I will say is, for years and years the dream has been to have access to as many of our characters back, so that we can tell those stories at Marvel Studios. If and when that happens, I'll be very excited. We have ideas just from going back eighteen years, but nothing specific.
The general moviegoing public might be in the dark for the foreseeable future, but it's clear that the folks at Marvel Studios have big plans in mind, possibly with the inclusion of Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds' franchise has made an insane amount of money at the box office, so it seems like a match made in heaven. There's just one question: will Deadpool still be an R-rated hero?
Thanos' snap will be addressed with Avengers 4 arrives in theaters on May 3rd, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
