Deadpool Is Coming To Disneyland, And I'd Peg This As A Huge Deal

Hey Deadpool, the Deadpool & Wolverine release date is almost here, and with it comes your first official MCU movie. You’re officially a Disney character now. What are you going to do next? Go to Disneyland, of course.

It’s become common practice for characters debuting in upcoming Marvel movies as well as upcoming Disney+ Marvel series to get characters representing them at Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris, so from that perspective, the announcement today that the Merc with a Mouth is the newest thing at Disneyland Resort isn’t that much of a surprise. But then, Deadpool isn’t just any Marvel character, is he? He’s a bloody, violent, and foul-mouthed, truly R-rated character. And he’s about to be hanging out just down the road from Mickey Mouse.

Deadpool Is The First R-Rated Character At Disneyland

While Deadpool won't be the first R-rated movie element ever in a Disney theme park. He will be the first that's going to interact directly with guests. Previously we saw the Xenomorph from Alien in The Great Movie Ride, alongside other material that was more grown-up oriented, but that was just one scene in a larger attraction. 

Today Disney Parks confirmed that Deadpool will debut at Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris tomorrow, July 24, and will arrive at Disney California Adventure’s version of the land on July 26, the same day Deadpool & Wolverine opens in theaters. It’s being called a “limited time” engagement, so Deadpool won’t be a permanent fixture in the land, but the fact that he exists now means he could come back at any time.

To be clear, I don’t have a problem with Deadpool appearing at Avengers Campus, but I am a little surprised that it’s happening. This is a pretty significant move at Disneyland Resort as it marks the first time that I can think of that a character from an R-rated movie has been available for guests in the parks. I don’t expect that the Cast Member playing Deadpool is going to swear at children, but it will be interesting to see just how the character does act and what he does say. If a kid tries to hug Deadpool, will he do it, or will he tell the kid he smells funny and ask them to step back?

How Will Deadpool Fit At Disneyland Resort?

One of the potentially interesting bits is that the promotional images of Deadpool released show him all over Disney California Adventure. Usually, these sorts of pictures only show the character inside Avengers Campus. It makes one wonder if part of Deadpool’s park gimmick will be the idea that he knows he’s in a theme park. Avengers Campus isn't just a place full of Marvel stuff but it's got a story of its own. It's a fixed place within its own Marvel universe. Deadpool would essentially be breaking the fourth wall of Disneyland, and that could be a lot of fun.

Update: Deadpool has now officially debuted at Disneyland Paris, giving us an idea of what we'll be in for when he debuts at Disneyland resort in a couple of days, and it's everything fans could want. 

While it’s unlikely that there are going to be a lot of R-rated movies with characters who would make sense at Disneyland, Deadpool’s appearance certainly kicks that door open hard. If he can appear at Avengers Campus, then so can anybody else. It’s a new era for costumed characters at Disney Parks.