New Deadpool 4 Update Is Not What Marvel Fans Wanted To Hear

The X-Men train is preparing to leave the station at Marvel Studios. Thunderbolts* architect Jake Schreier will be in the director’s chair for the reboot, which will have a script by The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes scribe Michael Lesslie. There are already reports circulating that Schreier and Co. are looking to cast younger actors in the iconic mutant roles, wanting to introduce a new generation to characters they can watch grow. If that comes to pass, that means the original X-Men actors set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday won’t be around after, passing the baton following their fight with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.

There are two mutants that seem reboot-proof, though: Deadpool and Wolverine, who headlined their own movie in 2024. It was a major moment in Marvel Studios’ history, as it was the first time that formerly Fox-owned characters got the chance to lead a Marvel Cinematic Universe project. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s box office return, well over $1 billion, probably helped get the X-Men reboot fast-tracked. However, there hasn’t been any movement on a sequel, one that would see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With a Mouth bicker until it’s time to unite to defeat a villain again.

Well, the lack of sequel talks doesn’t appear to be by accident, as Variety reports that Marvel Studios feels “no sense of urgency” to get another Deadpool movie in development. The trade doesn’t elaborate on the reason, but the powers that be may feel like there are bigger fish to fry, especially with two Avengers movies on the release slate. The one silver lining is that Reynolds knows how to get a project off the ground, so as soon as he’s ready to get back in the red and black suit, nothing is going to stop him.

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Earlier this year, it was reported that Reynolds was working on an X-Men team-up movie that would bring his raunchy mercenary back to the big screen. Deadpool wouldn’t be the focus, though, as he would hold the door open for other mutants, just like he did for Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine. Neither Marvel Studios nor Reynolds has provided additional information about the project, but that may be by design. After all, the MCU can only go back to the Fox well so many times before it has to start using its own characters. Reynolds may just be waiting for the X-Men to get a proper debut in the franchise before pulling them in a million different directions.

As for Jackman, it remains to be seen whether he will appear alongside his former co-stars in Doomsday. But even if he misses out on the fun, he’ll have a second chance in Avengers: Secret Wars, which is sure to feature its fair share of cameos, as the comic book story it’s named after is all about different realities merging together to fight for survival. There has to be room for Wolverine somewhere, so there’s no pressure on Reynolds or Marvel Studios to push another Deadpool movie out before it’s the right time to get the claws back out. The Merc Wit a Mouth can have fun bouncing from project to project before bringing the band back together for another expletive-filled epic.

Deadpool & Wolverine is streaming on Disney+.

Are you disappointed that Deadpool 4 is on the back burner? Where would you like to see Ryan Reynolds’ mutant pop up next? Let us know in the comments below!