Ryan Reynolds Reportedly Wants Standalone Deadpool Movies Set On Different Earths

The future of Deadpool remains up in the air. Two years on from the smash hit sequel Deadpool 2, the Disney/Fox merger has put the brakes on the franchise as Marvel Studios figure out what to do with Ryan Reynolds’ fourth-wall bustin’ antihero. We have assurances that Deadpool 3 is going to happen at some point, but the precise form it will take is still unknown.

One thing we do know though is that Reynolds is angling for the character to have total freedom to move within the MCU multiverse. The existence of multiple realities and timelines was introduced in Avengers: Endgame and further hinted at in Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

Judging by its title alone, it seems the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will crack these many realities wide open, which presents a big opportunity for Reynolds and Deadpool. And according to sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us The Witcher would be getting a prequel series and that Taskmaster would be the villain in Black Widow, both of which were correct – the actor wants to tell some crazy and OTT stories from the comic books that are set on different earths and in different timelines that he wouldn’t be able to do in the main MCU continuity.

But where could he go? Well, we know that the Disney+ Loki show is set to take place in an alternate timeline, and the What If…? animated series could also provide several playgrounds for Deadpool. But beyond that, the possibilities are really endless. And given that the antihero is self-aware, it’d be the same version of the character appearing both in the main MCU continuity and whatever multiverse-set stories Marvel decides to tell.

All this makes sense, too, as it appears that the main sticking point with Deadpool is Disney and Marvel Studios trying to square the circle of an incredibly violent, foul-mouthed hero popping up in their strictly PG-13 cinematic universe. Giving Reynolds and his writing team liberty to spread their wings and tell whatever stories they like via the multiverse, while still slotting DP into the main MCU timeline when he’s needed, sounds like a smart move to preserve what everyone loves about the character.

In any case, let’s hope we get some more concrete information about Deadpool‘s future very soon, as it’s frustrating that we haven’t had any official updates yet.