Ryan Reynolds Shocked by What Disney Has Allowed in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'

By Andrew Sanford | Film | May 21, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Film | May 21, 2024 |

The MCU has been a (mostly) family-friendly affair. Films in the cinematic universe tend to avoid “harder” swears. The violence is often exaggerated and happens against faceless, CGI enemies. Characters in the movies don’t have sex (for the most part). They aren’t meant for toddlers, but the films are okay to watch as a family, as long as some discussions happen afterward. That was not the case for 20th Century FOX’s X-Men universe.

FOX’s X-Men films were wildly successful. They were not afraid to explore more adult themes. There were physical relationships between their characters. The violence could be gnarly. There wasn’t anything too explicit, as the films were mostly rated PG-13. That didn’t stop Cyclops from dropping an F-bomb in one of the last films in the series. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine was given an R-rating for his “final” film. Then there was Deadpool.

The Deadpool films, starring Ryan Reynolds, pushed their R-ratings as far as possible. The Merc With The Mouth swears, gets pegged, and commits acts of violence that are both graphic and absurd. They were huge hits, making Deadpool a household name. When Disney purchased Fox, it was assumed that Deadpool would be folded into the MCU. But many wondered if this version of Deadpool would be watered down, given the nature of Disney’s superhero flicks. We now know the answer is a resounding: F*** no.

Deadpool will be making his debut in the MCU, along with Jackman’s Wolverine, in Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s been made clear that the film will have a hard-R rating, which surprised Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds recently chatted about the rating with Fandango. “I’m really proud of them for doing this,” he told the site. “I think it’s a huge step for them. It adds a whole other color to this kaleidoscopic wheel that is that company and the different people that they have been entertaining for forever.”

Reynolds mentioned how the decision caught him off guard. “I was surprised though that they let us go as Hard R … but very grateful. I mean, there’s no other way to do it. For this character and this world, and particularly Logan being an R-rated film as well, I felt like that was the most full-throated version of Wolverine or Logan that we’ve ever seen as well, so it really allowed us a lot of freedom, not exploiting the R rating just to do R-rated stuff, but really allowing us to do anything and everything in a world where anything and everything is possible.”

Props to Reynolds for saying “full-throated” without making a joke. That seems right up Deadpool’s alley. The Mint Mobile spokesman makes a great point. The MCU has become overstuffed and stagnant. Adding more mature content could help grow the company’s fan base. Younger people have been watching these movies, but they have and will continue to grow up. Making films that appeal to their older sensibilities might help keep those people buying tickets.

Still, it won’t only be the rating that gets butts in seats for Deadpool & Wolverine. The film also appears to be a post-mortem of FOX’s X-Men universe. It’s rumored to be loaded with cameos. It will feature two of the most iconic film heroes who have never appeared in an MCU film before. It’s a big deal for a lot of reasons. It will also, likely, contain a fisting joke or seven.