After three Deadpool movies, you’d think we’ve seen it all. This third film, Deadpool & Wolverine, especially seems to have taken things to a whole new level, upping the humor as well as the niche pop culture and superhero references. However, this latest marketing tactic by Ryan Reynolds may officially take the cake, as the witty actor posted a parody poster for Deadpool & Wolverine, which is very much based on the classic iconic poster for Forrest Gump.
Reynolds is known for his sense of humor and undeniable commitment to the Deadpool character, and has shown this throughout marketing campaigns for the franchise in the past. The idea to parody Dune: Part 2’s NSFW popcorn buckets with their own purposefully crude buckets for Deadpool & Wolverine was absolutely genius, and Deadpool 2 got creative with marketing by featuring unexpected talent like Celine Dion. Deadpool and Wolverine may have already been released, but this hasn’t stopped Reynolds’ hilariously creative mind. He recently shared a new poster for the film, and it’s a parody of Forrest Gump. You can see the post on Reynolds’s Instagram below:
This is definitely a much darker use of the design than Forrest Gump. The 1994 classic famously featured lead actor Tom Hanks sitting on a bench, with the heartfelt tagline “Life’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” This version notably places Deadpool next to Wolverine’s corpse, a clear reference to the character’s fate at the end of Logan. It also hints at just how Deadpool plans to resurrect Wolverine, by changing part of the tagline to indicate the character was about to dig up his body. It’s definitely dark humor, but what else can you expect from the Deadpool franchise?
Choosing to use Forrest Gump's poster specifically to parody is an interesting choice, especially considering Deadpool & Wolverine could not be more different from Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning drama. The sensitive warmth of Forrest Gump is nowhere present in the 2024 blockbuster, which once again pushes rated-R boundaries with extreme violence, crass, sarcastic jokes, and tons of innuendo. However, it’s exactly the contrast that makes this promotional poster so funny, and will make fans rush to the theaters to see what other gags Reynolds and the creative team has in store.
The ironic marketing for Deadpool & Wolverine is working, and the film had an astounding opening. The third Deadpool film already made $500 million at the global box office before it had even been out for a week. The Reynolds/Jackman collaboration broke records during its opening weekend, and while early predictors expected a big turn out for the film, it exceeded expectations. The duo’s team-up likely was a big draw for MCU fans, but you can not deny the powerful, humor-forward marketing campaign and this Forrest Gump poster is definitely a part of that.
You can see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine, which is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Fans can also check out the previous two Deadpool films now with a Disney+ subscription. For more information on other MCU films heading to cinemas and streaming soon, make sure to consult our upcoming Marvel movie schedule.
