Fox’s time in charge of the Deadpool franchise may have yielded widespread enthusiasm and two of the three highest-grossing R-rated movies in history that combined for over $1.5 billion in box office takings, but for a long time they seemed incredibly reluctant to even give the Merc with a Mouth his own solo outing in the first place.
Ryan Reynolds had been attached to play Wade Wilson since as far back as 2004, but it would be another five years before he finally appeared on the big screen, which unfortunately came as a virtually-unrecognizable version of the character as part of the poorly-received X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Despite numerous setbacks along the way, Reynolds persevered with the project and it would be another seven years before Deadpool finally managed to escape development hell and make it into theaters.
As the star, producer and co-writer of the franchise, Reynolds was the main creative driving force behind the comic book adaptations and hugely integral to their success. However, with Deadpool now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s speculation that the 43 year-old may no longer have the same level of influence, because everyone knows that Kevin Feige is the man in charge that holds the final say.
In a recent interview, Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld expressed his belief that in order to get the best possible version of Deadpool 3 as part of the MCU, Reynolds should be handed full creative control and be allowed to make whatever kind of movie he wants, free from the shackles of studio interference.
“My opinion is that Ryan should be steering the ship and just completely handed the reins, even to the point of plugging characters in. Give him three characters he can integrate, and let him integrate them. If people ask what I want to see, that’s where it begins. Just please don’t micromanage the guy. Just give him free rein.”
Reynolds may have overseen the creation and development of the Deadpool franchise when it was at Fox, but there’s virtually no chance he’ll get the same kind of leeway at Marvel. Kevin Feige has been the sole producer on all but five MCU movies, while Paul Rudd is the only actor to have received a writing credit on any of the studio’s output, and it appears as though Reynolds will have to get used to the idea of taking more of a backseat than he’s become accustomed to under the character’s new owners.
