Deadpool 2 is paving the path for a R-rated universe: Where does that leave us with Deadpool 3 and X-Force?
It's going to be a big weekend for the Merc-with-a-Mouth as the fate of the Deadpool franchise will be decided by the response Deadpool 2 garners upon its release on May 18.
On the heels of the film's world premiere, Ryan Reynolds and company have kept themselves busy upping the anticipation and mystery surrounding the anti-hero's gimmicks this time around.
Variety spoke with Reynolds and director David Leitch on the world premiere red carpet about the future of Deadpool movies, a prospective third installment, and the muck-talked-about ensemble movie X-Force.
And if their words are to be believed, 20th Century Fox might be paving the way for an R-rated universe.
Speaking about the possibility of a Deadpool 3, Reynolds said, "At this point, I don’t want to think about it. But, down the road, I’m sure we will figure it out.”
While the future of a third solo outing for Wade Wilson is still kind of up in the air, both Reynolds and Leitch have sounded hopeful for an ensemble-like set-up for Deadpool and his tribe of mutants in the upcoming X-Force.
"I see it being a real ensemble on a lot of levels just because I think it’s interesting for Deadpool to function in the way he does in his own universe," Reynolds said in an interview with Collider, fueling hopes for a shared universe for the character — much like their ideologically-driven counterparts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
"You always get to sort of find some way to position [Deadpool] as the underdog or take everything away from him. But for him to function in an ensemble [in X-Force] is a lot of fun."
Ensemble or solo, one thing is certain, anything to do with the wisecracking anti-hero is bound to be R-rated. At least, that's the way things look right now.
While the Canadian star has been chattering about the opportunities for his on-screen alter ego, the creative heads behind the movie have taken special care to hatch an entire universe out of the solo outings.
"We took great pains to try to set it up at the end of this movie. So I think you will have a nice combination of the characters that you see at the end of this movie forming X-Force," screenwriter Rhett Reese told Variety during the ongoing red carpet events.
While speculations surrounding a Deadpool cinematic universe are understandable, at the moment, all eyes should be on the sequel which will undoubtedly decide the future of the franchise.
In the words of Deadpool creator and comic book writer Rob Liefeld, "The door is wide open: X-Force, more Deadpool, the fans are going to speak this weekend."