Ryan Reynolds’ upcoming Deadpool 3 is one of the most exciting MCU projects since, well, Endgame. The Deadpool 3 release date will see Wade Wilson officially enter MCU canon, bringing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine with him no less.
Alongside Logan, apparently resurrected from his final X-Men outing (or, more likely, from another timeline), the upcoming Marvel movie is set to feature a wealth of cameos as Deadpool hops from one continuity to another. Photos from the production of the new movie, which has halted in line with the ongoing Hollywood strikes, have so far been mysterious and given away very little other than that Wolverine will be donning his classic blue and yellow suit.
Something else the photos show is the use of outdoor filming locations and sets, which might seem normal, but absolutely bucks a recent superhero movie trend. Speaking with EW from the Toronto International Film Festival, Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy revealed how Reynolds is attempting to correct a major MCU problem relating to sets and filming.
“[Ryan Reynolds] wanted our movie to be grounded and not feel like a bunch of physical environments filmed on a soundstage,” said Levy, explaining how the leaked Wolverine costume photos surfaced due to filming on location. “Fortunately it seems global reaction to those costumes has been overwhelmingly positive, so all’s well that ends well,” he concluded.
Levy’s reference to Reynolds’ desire to have Deadpool 3 be ‘grounded’ points to a broader MCU issue, which has become increasingly problematic with the likes of Ant-Man 3. Too many new Marvel movies, and superhero movies in general (we’re looking at you, The Flash) have lost something through their over-reliance on digitally created environments supported by overwhelming greenscreen and CG.
Doctor Strange 2, Thor Love and Thunder, Ant-Man 3, and Marvel series like Secret Invasion have all come under fire from audiences and critics for feeling weightless and floaty, and for increasingly unconvincing visual effects. It’s becoming a major issue and trend, and when you don’t believe in the physical environments, or that actors are even actually filming the scene together, it impacts the emotional stakes of – and engagement with – the movie.
Thanks to Reynolds, it sounds like Deadpool 3 will be seriously attempting to avoid falling into that trap. Hopefully, if it’s successful, it could mark a turning point and become the best movie of Marvel’s Phase 5 along the way.
For more on Marvel, check out our guides on the best way to watch the Marvel movies in order, and the X-Men movies in order. Or, see our picks for the best X-Men characters and best Marvel characters, before checking out the status of Reynolds’ other project with the Welcome to Wrexham season 2 release date.