Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool has just made his first official appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — in the most unexpected place possible. Ryan Reynolds suits up as Deadpool to promote his new movie Free Guy alongside his co-star (and Thor: Love and Thunder director) Taika Waititi, who reprises his own MCU role as Korg from Thor: Ragnarok. While this is, ostensibly, a meta-layered promotional ad for Reynolds and Waititi’s new film, it’s also a milestone in Marvel history, as Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool officially makes the transition from 20th Century Fox’s old X-Men movie franchise into Marvel Studios’ Avengers franchise.
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The video was released by Ryan Reynolds himself, with the caption, “Two members of the MCYouTube react to the upcoming film #FreeGuy featuring Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi. Free Guy. In theaters and definitely NOT streaming on August 13th.”
Just last month Reynolds teased fans with a photo hinting he was suiting up as Deadpool again — now we know why.
You can watch Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (with Taika Waititi’s Korg) in the Free Guy trailer reaction video below.
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is the only actor/character/franchise confirmed to have been imported from Fox’s X-Men franchise into the Marvel Studios universe. Early this year, Marvel’s Kevin Feige confirmed that Deadpool 3 is in the works at Marvel Studios, with Ryan Reynolds writing and starring in the film.
“It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan’s overseeing a script right now,” Feige told Collider.
So far, Reynolds is the only actor in the MCU to be getting an R-rated movie — a distinction that not even the PG-13 Blade reboot will get to share in. According to Feige though, Deadpool 3 is still a ways off from happening.
“It will not be [filming] this year. Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor,” Feige pointed out. “We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we now have to make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun. Again, 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.”
With Deadpool now officially in the MCU, fans are already hoping that Reynolds real-life buddy Hugh Jackman will show up in the MCU as Wolverine. A recent photo of Jackman and Feige together has only fueled those hopes.
Deadpool 3 is currently in development at Marvel Studios. Free Guy hits theaters on August 13th.
