A new report has shed light on Marvel’s plans for Deadpool 4, and the studio’s approach to the sequel may surprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s fans.
Deadpool & Wolverine proved to be a huge success for Marvel Studios and Disney, raking in a box office total of $1.3 billion. Despite these huge figures, Marvel seemingly isn’t in any rush to begin work on its successor. This news will come as a surprise to Marvel fans and points to a new budget-conscious strategy from the company.
Deadpool 4 is not in Marvel’s plans right now
According to a report from Variety, an “industrywide pullback on superheroes” means that Deadpool 4 currently isn’t in Marvel’s plans.
The report notes that Marvel views Deadpool 4 as a lower priority right now. Whereas the studio would previously have been quick to capitalize on a bank-rolling success such as Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s reportedly focused on developing movies with lesser-known stars in order to reduce budget. As a result, Marvel allegedly has “no sense of urgency” on Deadpool 4, with similar sentiments extended to the highly anticipated Blade reboot.
Why Marvel’s Deadpool 4 plans are unexpected
Deadpool & Wolverine’s overwhelming success left fans expecting a sequel rather than later. Deadpool 2 was announced before the first film was even released, as Ryan Reynolds and co. confirmed they would be returning for a sequel in February 2016, the same month as the original Deadpool’s release. The movie was released in May 2018, a little over two years after the original’s debut. Some expected a similar trajectory for Deadpool 4, especially considering 56-year-old Hugh Jackman’s days as Wolverine will likely be limited.
However, Ryan Reynolds previously revealed his hesitancy to jump back into the saddle as anti-hero Wade Wilson. Speaking to Extra in 2024, Reynolds said that “there’s a reason it’s been six years [between the releases of Deadpool 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine],” adding that filming the movies had taken over a significant chunk of his life.
Still, Marvel has experienced more misses than hits in recent years, meaning many expected Deadpool & Wolverine’s success would have seen sequel plans being developed. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has performed well, earning $240 million globally so far, but most of the MCU’s Phase Five releases have performed below expectations.
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige addressed Phase Five’s lackluster results, blaming Thunderbolts and The Marvels’ poor returns on the audience’s lack of familiarity with the characters, and Captain America: Brave New World on its lack of Chris Evans. Phase Six looks to be more successful with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, but it’s still surprising that Deadpool 4 isn’t even being considered at this time.
[Via Variety]
