‘My face hurts every day’: ‘Deadpool 3’ director shares the reality of working on the MCU’s multiversal epic

In an age of gross losers claiming their abusive practices are art, and given film and television’s long and sordid history of letting horrible behavior slide in the name of bang average films and protecting a big name’s ego, it’s always a nice change of pace to hear about a set where everyone is having a good time. This is especially true when the good vibes are coming from a much-anticipated release, like Deadpool 3, and a recent tweet from its director confirmed the cast and crew are having a ball.

Deadpool (in all its iterations) is known for its jokey nature and innuendos, so it makes sense that the set for the latest film is a barrel of laughs. Shawn Levy is directing the third installment of the film, which sees the mutant character being fully integrated into the MCU after Disney’s acquisition of the comic franchise. This means that we don’t just get to see Wade Wilson back in action, but also have a chance to watch him save the world with some familiar characters — in this case, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. From that alone, it’s shaping up to be an excellent odd-couple comedy.

In a recent tweet, Levy (working on his first MCU project as a director) replied to a terrible pun (or a brilliant one, if you adore silly wordplay) about Jackman’s name to confirm that his “face hurts every day from smiling too much,” which is a good sign of things to come if you’re a fan of the droll comedy we’ve come to expect from Deadpool and its star, Ryan Reynolds. Of course, given the comedic power of the character and the cast involved, it seems like it would be harder to keep a straight face on set than to just let the laughter win, so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised.

While the merging of MCU money and Deadpool‘s lovable sensibilities should seem like a cash cow, that is no longer a given. Phase Four of the Marvel project hit a lot of speedbumps and garnered many reasonable criticisms about everything from the confusing and contradictory nature of the multiverse to an overreliance on CGI, disappointing even the most devoted fanboys.

Phase Five isn’t off to the greatest start, either, with the flagship show Secret Invasion failing to impress in terms of viewing figures, and the most recent Ant-Man film being hit by controversies and accusations of poor writing. However, the beloved Deadpool films could be the key to stopping the rot, especially given the character’s reflective nature and ability to break the fourth wall (it wouldn’t surprise many fans to see a confused look to the camera as the mutant main character has the multiverse explained to him).

Deadpool 3 sees Reynolds return in the titular role as the smart-mouthed Canadian mercenary, although given the MCU crossover, it appears that he might not be as comfortable as he’s been in previous films, with one writer describing it as a “fish out of water” story. As one would expect from a Marvel production, key plotlines are very much under wraps, so we can’t offer any more in the way of what the movie will be about without falling heavily into speculation. But, if the previous Deadpool projects are anything to go by, there’ll be plenty of humor to counteract the brilliant fight scenes and surprisingly heartfelt emotional climaxes.

Other returning stars include Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Wilson Fisk’s fiancée, Karan Soni as taxi-driver turned superhero chauffer Dopinder, and fan favorite Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, the titular character’s elderly, blind, and acid-tongued roommate.

Deadpool 3 doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet but is set to come out in 2024.