Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees the franchise undergoing something of a transitional period, with many Phase One stalwarts either being cycled out or sent to the sidelines, with a raft of fresh faces on the way in, which is to be expected when the interconnected superhero series has been around for thirteen years and has more content than ever in the works thanks to the Disney Plus expansion.
Many familiar names remain, but there’s a lot of new blood coming to lead the franchise into the future as well. Tom Holland, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Brie Larson, Kathryn Newton, Hailee Steinfeld and Dominque Thorne have major roles to play in the MCU’s upcoming slate, and they’re all aged between 23 and 31, meaning they could conceivably stick around for another decade or more.
However, Ryan Reynolds turns 45 this year, which will make him the oldest star to ever headline their solo debut whenever Deadpool 3 finally arrives. Robert Downey Jr. is the oldest actor to take top billing in any standalone MCU movie having been 48 when Iron Man 3 was released, and if the Merc with a Mouth gets at least two films of his own, then Reynolds is going to take that distinction, too.
Insider Daniel Richtman is now reporting, though, that he’s got no intention of giving up on the role anytime soon, and is more than happy to keep suiting up for a long time to come. It’s looking like a foregone conclusion that we’ll be seeing Reynolds’ Deadpool when he’s well into his 50s, but he’ll have a long way to go to nab the crown of being the oldest person to be listed first in the credits of any MCU project, with Samuel L. Jackson currently 72 years of age and Secret Invasion not expected to premiere until next year.
