Thanks to Disney’s takeover of Fox, Marvel Studios now have access to some of their most iconic characters, and although the X-Men and Fantastic Four are undoubtedly high-priority projects for Kevin Feige and his team, it will likely be a while before we see them introduced into the MCU.
We’ve already had multiple variations of both superhero teams over the years, which has brought movies of incredibly varying and inconsistent quality in the process, so Marvel will no doubt take their time in making sure that the new and improved MCU versions will live up to expectations. However, as the star of two recent and massively-successful solo outings, the studio are looking to capitalize on the popularity of Deadpool as soon as possible, with the third installment already in development.
While there are no doubt top-secret talks going on behind closed doors about the future of Wade Wilson, there’s already been plenty of speculation about how the Merc with a Mouth will be introduced into the long-running franchise. A fourth wall-breaking, foul-mouthed and entirely self-aware superhero doesn’t exactly fit the MCU’s established template, making the character a tricky proposition that will need to be handled carefully and correctly.
As star, producer and co-writer on the series, Ryan Reynolds will likely have something of a say in Deadpool 3’s creative team, although the final say will ultimately be Kevin Feige’s. Scripting duo Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have admitted that they’re waiting for Feige’s approval to start cracking the story, but the director’s chair remains empty, and now we’ve heard that Taika Waititi is one of the names being considered.
According to our sources – the same ones who told us that She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel shows were in the works for Disney Plus months before they were officially confirmed – Waititi is one of several names being looked at to get behind the camera on Deadpool 3 as the studio narrows their search for a director. It’s unclear if Marvel has formally approached him, but it’s said that his name has come up in discussion.
Of course, Waititi’s asking price has likely gone through the roof following his Best Adapted Screenplay win at the Academy Awards for Jojo Rabbit, which was also nominated for Best Picture. However, not only does he have strongly-established ties to the MCU, but he also has links to the Deadpool franchise having co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in both Green Lantern and the upcoming Free Guy, while his New Zealand-set independent flick Hunt for the Wilderpeople featured Deadpool 2 co-star Julian Dennison in the lead role.
If Marvel are looking in-house, then the 44 year-old is the strongest candidate by a country mile. Not only did Thor: Ragnarok completely reinvent the title character and give Chris Hemsworth a new lease of life as the God of Thunder in one of the MCU’s best-ever entries, but the filmmaker’s offbeat and irreverent sense of humor seems like an ideal fit for someone like Deadpool.
