‘Deadpool 3’ Nearly Became a Low-Budget Road Trip Comedy

Ryan Reynolds has revealed that the third Deadpool movie almost became a low-budget road trip comedy. Initially, several ideas were being considered, including a film featuring Reynolds’ character, Deadpool, and his taxi driver, Dopinder, portrayed by Karan Soni. The movie would follow the adventures and antics of these two characters. However, the team finally decided to make a Deadpool & Wolverine film instead.

Reynolds, 47, explained to Entertainment Weekly, “Literally, it was a $5 or $6 million budget with no special effects.” He added, “It was just a talkie-talkie road trip with me and [Karan Soni’s character] Dopinder and some of the things we collected and saw along the way. It wasn’t meant to be an event movie. If we’re on our way to Point C, it was meant to just get us to Point B. That was the weirdest one. I liked it. I thought it was kind of fun.”

During the merger between Fox and Disney, the actor questioned whether he would ever reprise his role as Deadpool in another Marvel movie following the 2016 film Deadpool and its 2018 sequel Deadpool 2. Reynolds recalled to Entertainment Weekly, “I didn’t know if I’d ever be playing Deadpool again.” He continued, “It’s not something I would’ve said necessarily publicly, but I didn’t know how a character like that would fit into that world [of the MCU].”

Reynolds also emphasized that he wouldn’t have made Deadpool & Wolverine without director Shawn Levy. Having collaborated with the 55-year-old filmmaker on Free Guy (2021) and The Adam Project (2022), Reynolds was adamant that he wanted Levy at the helm for the third Deadpool installment, which also stars Hugh Jackman reprising his role as the iconic Wolverine.

Levy shared his experience working with Reynolds, telling Deadline, “Hugh, in like 2011, Hugh said, ‘You know, if you ever meet Ryan Reynolds and work with him, you’re never going to stop.’ He said that over a decade ago. And it took several years before I met Ryan, but the first time we met to talk about Free Guy, it was clear that we’d both had successful careers, but we were meeting in the right moment.”

He added, “We’re old enough to know a really good thing when we stumble into it and not let go. And Free Guy led into The Adam Project. It was on the set of Adam Project that Ryan told me he only wanted to do Deadpool 3 if I directed it.”

Reynolds’ and Levy’s enduring collaboration has resulted in highly successful projects, and their reunion for Deadpool 3 is eagerly anticipated by fans. Moreover, the continuing involvement of Hugh Jackman brings additional excitement, as audiences are keen to see Deadpool and Wolverine share the screen again.

As fans eagerly await more news, Reynolds’ revelation about the alternative road trip comedy version of Deadpool 3 serves as an intriguing “what might have been” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless, the confirmed direction of a Deadpool and Wolverine film promises to deliver the action-packed, irreverent humor that fans have come to love.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Deadline