If Deadpool wants to be a true Marvel superhero, is it time he grew up and stopped joking around?
The article considers how Deadpool could be incorporated into Marvel’s main cinematic universe after succeeding by mocking it from the outside. With Ryan Reynolds reportedly developing another sequel and rumours linking the character to Avengers: Doomsday, the challenge is whether the irreverent antihero can become a meaningful team player without losing the humour that defines him.
Deadpool & Wolverine earned $1.3bn worldwide in 2024, making it that year’s second-highest-grossing film and the highest-grossing R-rated film ever. Its approach kept Deadpool separate from the MCU proper, using Fox-era mutant characters and jokes about Marvel’s own continuity; the new Doomsday trailer features Gambit, Professor X, Magneto and Mystique, suggesting that world may be drawn further into Marvel’s multiverse storyline.
- Deadpool’s MCU future may require balancing satire with genuine superhero stakes.
- Deadpool & Wolverine was a $1.3bn box-office success.
- Fox-era mutants appear likely to feature in Avengers: Doomsday.