Deadpool 3 writer promises film will be R-rated and not “Disney-fied”

Deadpool 3 will finally bring Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But don’t worry: it won’t be “Disney-fied” and the hero’s bloody adventures will remain R-rated. 

Ever since Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its catalog of comic book characters, Deadpool’s transition into the MCU has remained a source of speculation and anxiety. Sure, the arrival of the X-Men and Fantastic Four is highly anticipated and will likely open itself to controversy, but Deadpool is a one-of-a-kind wildcard.

The House of Mouse has dipped its toes in the waters of hallowed adult content: back when Marvel’s Netflix shows were considered completely canon, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher weren’t afraid to embrace the dark side; and Moon Knight boasts a TV-14 rating, considered by Kevin Feige to be the franchise’s “most brutal” show so far.

Tonally and visually, Deadpool isn’t a step beyond its MCU predecessors; it’s on another plane of existence entirely. Fox didn’t have any qualms in letting Reynolds run amok with meta-commentary, fourth-wall breaks, and gore (lest we forget him being ripped in two by Juggernaut).

Deadpool 3 writer promises film won’t be ruined by Disney

Nevertheless, Deadpool 3 is definitely coming to the MCU, with Bob’s Burgers writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin penning the threequel’s script. Reynolds will also reunite with Free Guy and The Adam Project’s Shawn Levy, who’s set to direct.

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Rhett Reese – another co-writer on the movie, having authored the previous films with Paul Wernick – told The Playlist that while “there are differences” working with Disney, they’ve been met with nothing but support so far.

He said: “It’s these [Disney] people and these people do things their way. And we were used to doing things our way, so there are differences, but I think the great part is that Marvel’s been incredibly supportive.

“They are gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool, you know? It’s not like any particular joke may be the one that they say: ‘You know, that’s too far.’ That could happen, but to this point, it’s been nothing but support.

“It’s been nothing but: ‘How can we help you? What from our universe would you like to use? How can we make your life easy?’ And we’re gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool. We’re not… this is not going to be the Disney-fied Deadpool. So they’re awesome, and now it’s up to us to come through and justify that faith.”

Deadpool 3 will remain R-rated

Reese also said the sequel is being written with the intention of it being R-rated; given Disney’s family-friendly reputation, this was one of the primary concerns after the Fox takeover.

He continued: “Oh, absolutely. They’re not gonna mess with the tone. I mean, I’d never say never, I guess there’s an outside chance, but we’ve always been told it can be R and we’re proceeding as if it’s R. We would like it to be R, we always have, so I don’t think that’ll change.”

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This echoes Feige’s comments to Collider last year, promising in an interview: “It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now… [it’s] a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life.”

When will Deadpool 3 be released?

While Marvel Studios has confirmed Deadpool 3, we don’t have an official release date yet. At this point, considering how far the knotty roadmap of the MCU stretches into the future, we’re likely looking at sometime in 2024 if we’re lucky.

Reese couldn’t even hint at a possible timeframe. “Look, it’s, ‘We will sell no wine before it is time.’ That’s our [motto], that’s the old Ernest Gallo, marketing line,” he said.