While there is no shortage of questions surrounding Deadpool 3, there are even more questions when it comes to how Deadpool will be handled by Marvel in the wider MCU. The biggest issue that the studio is going to be facing is the fact that Deadpool is one of Marvel’s raunchiest, most foul-mouthed, and violent heroes to date, making it hard to see where he will fit in with the PG-13 film franchise. While some have faith in Marvel, others have been much more worried thanks to a previous PG-13 outing for the character.
With Ryan Reynold’s talent behind the character and all the potential crossovers that are sure to be on the way, there is a lot to look forward to. While those two things alone will never be enough to sway everyone into not worrying about a more reigned-in Deadpool, they certainly do go a long way. If Deadpool 3 ends up getting the kind of love from Marvel that most people are expecting, the mutant’s next appearances should be in good hands moving forward.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Deadpool 3 is set to be an R-rated movie, but what might surprise some people is the fact that the nearly-always family-friendly Disney is seemingly okay with the move. Marvel fans will surely already know that the series has played it safe with their films, always opting for a PG-13 rating in order to be able to appeal to the widest audience possible. Deadpool 3 will mark the first time that an MCU feature film release will be R-rated, and odds are, the movie is going to make the most out of being the one to take Marvel into the brave new cinematic territory.
With Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine by his side, Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool is in for a seriously bizarre adventure that is bound to be just as bloody and hilarious as the last two. It is telling that one of the few things fans actually know about the film is that it is set to be R-rated, something that highlights Marvel’s dedication to the move for a mature rating. Nearly all details about the plot of Deadpool 3 are difficult to come by, resulting in a landslide of rumors that predict just about every previous Marvel character ever making an appearance, and even a rumor of a potential appearance from media darling and global pop superstar Taylor Swift.
How Can Deadpool Appear In PG-13 movies?
Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Deadpool & Collosus
It’s fair to wonder how Deadpool will end up appearing in future PG-13 Marvel movies, but it’s likely not all that complicated. With Marvel now firmly in control of Deadpool, it’s almost a certainty that Deadpool 3 will end with Deadpool in the very MCU that fans have been watching for over a decade. Exactly how that’s going to happen is still unclear thanks to how little is known about Deadpool 3, but with how beloved the character is, and with how badly fans want to see him interact with Marvel heroes, it won’t be long before he’s chumming it up with either the Avengers or the X-Men – or both!
It may be a bit of a let-down to fans that Deadpool will be left handcuffed by a PG-13 rating in the many movies he’s sure to appear in, but as long as the teams behind the films get creative, it shouldn’t be a problem. It wouldn’t be likely for Deadpool to be the main focus of any of the team-up movies he’d end up featured in, and even if he appeared alongside a single other hero, the nature of the character almost makes it perfect for him to be trapped in a PG-13 movie. If each of his different PG-13 appearances in other films involved him trying to find a way to break free of his PG-13 fate (keeping in mind Deadpool loves to break the fourth wall), there’s almost always a ready-to-go C Story for each of the movies.
If Deadpool found himself in a mentor role for younger heroes, or partnering with Peter Parker (who does look relatively young), it could also be amusing for a Deadpool who’s trying to be better to have to force himself into a PG-13 mindset. Fans won’t be getting the same level of filth in the humor or the same level of violence in the action, but that doesn’t mean a movie couldn’t get away with implying certain things by playing them for laughs. It’s easy to forget that the Avengers routinely (almost definitely) killed people and aliens throughout their plothole-filled stories, so it’s not like Deadpool couldn’t get away with some of his old tricks.
Deadpool’s Previous PG-13 Project
Deadpool reads a story to Fred Savage
The problem that is lingering in the minds of most Deadpool fans whenever they think about PG-13 is the infamous Once Upon A Deadpool. The film acted as a re-cut version of the excellent Deadpool 2 that was reworked in order to get the film out with a PG-13 rating. The movie was met with equally mixed reactions from fans and critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with the film earning 56% from both groups. Many of the reactions make it clear that many people just don’t think Once Upon A Deadpool even needed to exist.
Some of the more worrying reactions indicate that the wider-audience-friendly Deadpool adventure stripped away a lot of the magic that makes Deadpool the violent merc with a mouth that everyone loves to see. While that is certainly a fair criticism, something that should be kept in mind is that the project was made with an R-rating in mind, and that left the team behind Once Upon A Deadpool with minimal options when it came to changes to the movie. If a PG-13 Deadpool movie were made, it’s not hard to imagine just how hard the movie would be to toe the line between ratings thanks to the natural mischievousness of Ryan Reynolds.
Deadpool 3 is set to release on May 3rd, 2024.
