Marvel Studios brought an embarrassment of riches in terms of upcoming movies and TV shows when it gathered in front of its fans on Saturday night in Hall H at Comic-Con in San Diego. The future has become clearer regarding the stories we can expect in Marvel’s Phase 5. We also know a bit about Marvel’s Phase 6, including the titles of the next two Avengers films. Heads were spinning from the new details that it was only after the dust settled that we realized that Deadpool had stayed away from the fun. What gives?
None of us are going to complain after all the announcements that were made on Saturday. But fans of Ryan Reynolds’ mercenary were probably hoping to hear something else about the confirmed Deadpool 3. Deadpool is one of the characters who moved to the MCU after Disney acquired the 20th Century and all its possessions. And while there was incredibly slow movement in the third “Deadpool” movie, the news that Reynolds’ frequent collaborator Sean Levy was on board to helm the sequel led most of us to believe that its release date could be announced at Comic-Con.
When you look at what’s been announced, only one of the Fox properties has been confirmed as part of Marvel’s Phase 5 and 6, and that’s the Fantastic Four. This makes little sense, since at least we’ve met a version of Reed Richards (played by John Krasinski) in the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This means that there are versions of the Fantastic Four in our universes, on other Earths. So it will be interesting to see how Marvel handles the origin of the team, which has been documented in detail on screen and really doesn’t need to be repeated (as in Spider-Man: Homecoming” skipped Peter Parker’s MCU story).
So what remains of “Deadpool 3”? Given the fact that Fox’s connections to the MCU are limited, I’m guessing Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is keeping those connections—including the possible introduction of the X—Men-for the D23 celebration in September. We know that the term “mutation” caused a stir when it was removed in the last episode of “Miss Marvel”. And when Kevin Feige presented the properties slide for Phase 6, there were a lot of gaps around the “Fantastic Four” and the two “Avengers” films that would complete the Multiverse saga. Can we cram Deadpool 3 into one of these slots? It would be great to see former Fox characters who have always been Marvel characters take over the MCU leading up to the Avengers films that will complete the saga. And then the third Deadpool movie will have time to develop better and see how it fits into the overall narrative.
Until we know where “Deadpool 3” will land, which will probably be announced on Ryan Reynolds’ active social media channels, follow our guide to upcoming Marvel movies to keep up to date with the latest announcements and changes.
