Marvel Studios offered an official statement on Ryan Reynolds' MCU future as Deadpool as part of an ongoing lawsuit. Actor Justin Baldoni is locked in a defamation legal battle with his It Ends With Us co-star and Ryan Reynolds' wife Blake Lively after she accused him of sexual harassment on set. Marvel Studios was roped into the suit when Baldoni alleged that Reynolds sought to mock him with Deadpool & Wolverine's Nicepool.
Nicepool - who Baldoni claims is based on him - is the long-haired Wade Wilson Variant played by Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine. The character was killed by his fellow Deadpools in the movie's climax after the movie's primary Variant used him as a human shield, leaving him to adopt his canine friend, Dogpool.
The Lively-Baldoni controversy began last summer when the actress alleged she felt "uncomfortable" on set and accused the actor of sexual harassment during the production, which took place across 2023 and 2024.
As Justin Baldoni's team sought documents from Marvel Studios relating to Reynolds' Deadpool, Disney responded, stating, "The requested documents are particularly sensitive because they relate to the development of a character in an ongoing movie franchise." The legal-speak statement offers an intriguing update on Deadpool's MCU future as it makes it clear that Marvel Studios is already making plans for what comes next for the character.
The studio continued, pointing out how the MCU has built its success through its trademark interconnected storyline and "whether and how such elements will appear in upcoming unreleased projects" is a closely guarded secret:
"Marvel has built the success of the MCU in large part by interconnecting storylines, plots, and characters across its titles, including ‘crossover’ events and sequels. Whether and how such elements will appear in upcoming, unreleased projects is the subject of much public interest, and this information is closely guarded by Marvel."
Baldoni's attorneys claimed in their statement that "Nicepool is a defamatory and mocking portrayal” of the It Ends With Us actor alleged “malice.”
Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson last took to screens in July 2024 with Deadpool & Wolverine, thrusting him into a long-awaited, Multiversal team-up with Hugh Jackman's Logan to take on Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova.
The billion-dollar-grossing MCU blockbuster also starred Blade (Wesley Snipes), Gambit (Channing Tatum), Elektra (Jennifer Garner), X-23 (Daphne Keen), Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), and the TVA villain Agent Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen).
Marvel Studios' Plans for Deadpool's Future Explained
In the aftermath of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds teased that he can see "any version" of his MCU future, between another solo outing, an ensemble team-up, or even being done for good after the record-breaking blockbuster.
Most recently, the Canadian star stated that Deadpool 4 could be "iterative and redundant," raising concerns that a fourth movie may be off the table for now.
Reynolds may see Deadpool 4 as redundant, but Marvel Studios reportedly hopes for another team-up movie between Deadpool and Wolverine. That comes as no surprise after it becomes the MCU's second-highest-grossing entry post-Avengers: Endgame and beat Joker to become the biggest R-rated movie of all time.
Whether another solo outing happens or not, it would be surprising if Deadpool & Wolverine truly marked his final appearance. While Reynolds was omitted from the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, many have theorized he will make a surprise appearance or return the following year for Avengers: Secret Wars.
Regardless, Marvel Studios' refusal to share documents surrounding Deadpool as it risks exposing future plans indicates it has something to hide. But this shouldn't be taken as any immediate giveaway that Deadpool will feature in Avengers 5 and 6 as these could even just include vague ideas.
