Now that the X-Men film franchise is at Marvel Studios following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the property is expected to be rebooted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, with one big exception. Ryan Reynolds is sticking around as Deadpool, with the actor confirming back in December 2019 that Deadpool 3 is in development. We’ve gotten a few notable updates on the threequel since then, but when exactly can we expect it to begin filming? According to Reynolds, there’s a good chance that could happen next year.
While promoting his new movie Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds was asked by Collider what the “percentage” chance” is that Deadpool 3 will kick off principal photography in 2022. The actor responded thusly:
The percentage chance? I don’t know. I couldn’t assign a percentage to that. I’d say it’s 50/50 maybe? We’re really actively developing it and getting it into pretty good shape. What the hell month is it? August? Oh next year? Probably pretty damn good. I’d say 70%.
So it’s not a 100% guarantee that Deadpool 3 will begin rolling cameras next year, but Ryan Reynolds is fairly confident that it’ll happen given how progress has been going so far. Also, keep in mind that 2022 is a long span of time, so don’t go thinking that Reynolds and the rest of the talent involved will be ready to go right when January hits. Production might not kick off until summer or fall of 2022. If it’s the latter, then that means we technically have over a year to go before the cast and crew shoot Deadpool 3.
Ryan Reynolds acknowledged in this interview that he has “no sense of time,” but added that the Deadpool 3 writing process has been going splendidly. Bob’s Burgers duo Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin were hired to write the threequel’s script in November 2020, and here’s what Reynolds had to say about collaborating with them:
It’s something that is just a daily process. Writing is kind of like that, you’ve gotta allot time to do it and walk away, and I’m working with the Molyneuxs on it, it’s been great. They’re incredibly talented and so, so smart. They so understand that world and know how to zig when everyone’s expecting a zag, so it’s been a lot of fun.
With plot details being kept a closely guarded secret for now, all we know for sure about Deadpool 3 so far is that it will be set within the MCU continuity and be rated R just like its predecessors, as opposed to being squeezed into PG-13 confines like every other MCU movie thus far. Along with an exact filming date not being set in stone just yet, it’s also worth remembering that the MCU film slate is scheduled through to May 5, 2023 right now. July 28, October 6 and November 10, 2023 remain open, but with movies like Blade, Captain America 4 and Fantastic Four also in development, it’s hard to say if Deadpool 3 will score one of those 2023 release slots or if we’ll have to wait until 2024 for it.
While we wait for more updates about Deadpool 3’s progress, you can see Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy starting Friday, August 13, and he’ll return in November alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot for the Netflix movie Red Notice. Keep track of what else the MCU has coming up with our upcoming Marvel movies guide.
