Ryan Reynolds: Deadpool & Wolverine Was Meant to Be “A True One-Off,” “Not a Commercial” for Another MCU Movie

Deadpool & Wolverine is not Deadpool 3. Not only is the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman two-hander more one-off than true threequel, but the Marvel Studios movie — which brings the titular antiheroes over from the Fox X-verse to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — isn’t setting up an Avengers vs. X-Men movie or Avengers: Secret Wars (despite all those Easter eggs). That’s according to the film’s star, producer, and co-writer Reynolds, who says the latest entry in the Kevin Feige-produced MCU is more standalone than typical cinematic universe fare.

“The movie was not meant to be a commercial for another movie,” Reynolds told Collider. “It was really, genuinely meant to be a true one-off.”

“Lifeis hard for a lot of people out there, and it’s been that way for along time,” he continued. “For people to walk out of the movie theater feeling like theyjust had the best two hours of their entire life, something that isunexpectedly moving, but still retains all that audacity and wildsubversion that you come to expect with this character and this world — and then there’s just an enormous wrestling match with expectations andstuff like that. It’s always a wild thing to see. I’m so thrilled Marvelis as thrilled as they are. We are our hardest critics, so for me, this is the best movie I’ve ever been a part of.”

That doesn’t mean Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth and Jackman’s razor-clawed mutant won’t appear in future Avengers movies, including the currently-untitled Avengers 5 and the multiverse-spanning Secret Wars. The duo have spent the Deadpool & Wolverine press tour dodging questions about whether they will return for the superhero ensemble set to cap off the Multiverse Saga in 2027.

“I don’t know. Yeah, we’ll see. Yeah,” Reynolds told Variety when asked about Deadpool and Wolverine’s MCU futures. Added Jackman: “I’m not sure how to answer.” ‘Nuff said, bub. 

The R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine — which also stars returning Deadpool cast membersMorena Baccarin (Vanessa), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni(Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), ShioliKutsuna (Yukio), Stefan Kapičić (Colossus), Robe Delaney (Peter), Logan‘sDafne Keen (Laura/X-23), and MCU newcomers Matthew Macfadyen (TVA AgentParadox) and Emma Corrin (Cassandra Nova) — opens only in theaters July 26th.