Since Disney purchased Marvel in 2009 and assumed command of the comic book company’s movie division, Kevin Feige has been handed the sort of autonomy that most producers in Hollywood could only dream of. Of the 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe films released under the Mouse House’s ownership, as well as the eight scheduled to arrive by the summer of 2022, Feige is credited as the sole producer on all but four of them.
Of course, three of those are Spider-Man co-productions where Sony’s Amy Pascal plays a major role in shaping the direction of the final product, while the other is Ant-Man and the Wasp, when Vice President of Production and Development Stephen Broussard became the first and so far only other person to be credited as a producer on a Marvel Studios project. The point is, everyone knows who calls the shots when it comes to the world’s biggest and most popular franchise.
That being said, insider Daniel Richtman is now claiming that Feige has handed over a previously unheard of level of control to Ryan Reynolds for Deadpool 3, which is said to include everything from the R-rating he wanted to creative freedom on both the project itself and future MCU appearances and, of course, a substantial payday for good measure.
“Ryan Reynolds has won and got everything he wanted from Feige and Marvel an R rating, creative freedom, big paycheck and more. Full creative control over Deadpool 3 and future appearances in the MCU.”
While none of this can be confirmed as of yet, it could be an indication that the threequel is being set up at 20th Century Studios instead of the Marvel flagship and Feige is planning on taking a more hands-off role than usual. The fan favorite is a tricky proposition to debut in the PG-13 MCU, after all, so establishing Deadpool outside of the main continuity while still leaving the door open for cameo appearances could work out better for all parties in the long run.
