Deadpool has always known that he’s in a movie. Ever since the release of his first film in 2016, the Merc with a Mouth has demanded to be the center of attention, if only because he can see beyond the fourth wall. Even when teaming up with X-Force in Deadpool 2 and with Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine, Wade Wilson makes everything about him.
So it’s a bit of a surprise to hear that Ryan Reynolds wants Deadpool to take a step back. Dropping by the Today Show, Reynolds admitted that he’s working on new things for Wilson, but in a different role. “I have some stuff written, but I don’t think I’m going to center him again,” said Reynolds. “I think he’s a supporting character. He’s a guy who’s great in a group.”
That’s good news for people who aren’t completely won over by Deadpool’s schtick. While all three of his films have been hits and the character has consistently carried his own comic since 1993, Deadpool isn’t for everyone. His fourth-wall breaking and winking after each inappropriate line can get tiresome, especially when tied so closely to Reynold’s public persona.
Furthermore, Deadpool & Wolverine felt like a capper on that version of a movie Deadpool, as the film surveyed the history of the 20th Century Fox Marvel heroes and ended by sequestering them in their own reality away from the MCU. With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars apparently destroying that reality and introducing new X-Men into the MCU proper, Deadpool’s going to have to find a new role, at least if Reynolds wants to keep playing him.
