Deadpool and Wolverine’s Original Scene in “Like A Prayer” Killed A Marvel Hero

Near the end of Shawn Levy’s popular superhero flick “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the two title heroes, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively, find themselves in an epic battle against a horde of bloodthirsty, alternate-dimension Deadpools. This battle turns into a prolonged sequence where Deadpool and Wolverine slice, stab, shoot, and disembowel their way through a city block, leaving numerous corpses in their wake. The humorous twist is that most of these Deadpools possess regenerative powers, rendering death temporary as they quickly revive for another round of combat.

To add a fun and ironic touch, the scene is underscored by Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer.” This choice of music contrasts starkly with the violent chaos unfolding on-screen, emphasizing the playful yet brutal nature of the sequence. Since very few characters can actually die in this fight, the stakes are minimal, making for an enjoyable though somewhat hollow spectacle.

Interestingly, an earlier draft of the “Like a Prayer” sequence added more emotional stakes. In the previous “Deadpool” films, the character Colossus (Stefan Kapičić), a mutant with iron skin, had formed a friendship with Deadpool, serving as his straight-laced counterpart. Colossus makes a brief appearance at the beginning of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” affirming the continued friendship between the characters. Originally, Colossus was supposed to reappear later in the film, providing Deadpool with the motivation to fight again but dying in the process. This tragic event would propel the plot forward and give Deadpool a significant emotional drive.

Ryan Reynolds elaborated on his early ideas for this scene in an interview with Collider. According to Reynolds, one of the initial story concepts for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” written in 2020, was that Deadpool had not only retired from being a superhero but had also renounced all forms of violence and even swearing. This kinder, gentler version of Deadpool had adopted a creepy, cult-like mentality, and it would be up to his friend Colossus to pull him out of it, encouraging him to embrace violence once again.

In this version of the script, Colossus would be injured and, while lying wounded, would have a tearful farewell with Deadpool. His final request to Deadpool would be to return to his filthy, irreverent self. Reynolds described this poignant moment: “Anyway, so Deadpool doesn’t swear. He’s very, very kind of like chaste. And then when Colossus dies in the third act for the same [fight] sequence with ‘Like a Prayer,’ he says … [Remember] in ‘Deadpool 2,’ as I’m dying on the ground, I do this long, elaborate death … where I keep coming up with new reasons to not die. And it’s exhausting all my friends around me who are sort of saying goodbye. I do a callback where Colossus says, he says, ‘Wade, say f*** for me,’ as he’s lying on the ground, dying.”

This mix of tragedy and humor would have added a unique layer to the film, making Colossus’ death not only a motivating factor for Deadpool but also a heart-wrenching moment for the audience.

The tragic aspect of the scene lies in the missed opportunity for Colossus and Deadpool to share one last, unfiltered moment together. Reynolds continued: “[It’s the] same thing I said to him, you know? And I’m like, ‘what, what?’ And, you know, I’m emotional. And he says, ‘Come on, we’ll do it, we’ll do it together, you know? On three, come on, here we go. It’ll be fine. One, two …’ and I sort of say [silence] and he dies, like before I even can say it.”

The script underwent significant rewrites since that initial version. At the start of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Deadpool had indeed abandoned his superhero lifestyle but soon picked up his weapons again when violence was necessary. Unlike the earlier draft, he never stopped swearing or making lewd comments, continuing his adventures filled with many f-bombs.

Though Colossus’ death was ultimately removed from the movie, this plotline would have struck a chord with Marvel fans. In the comics, Colossus also sacrificed himself to save others, providing a cure for a deadly disease and staying dead for two years before being resurrected. It seemed, albeit briefly, that Colossus would be one of the rare comic book characters to remain deceased. However, as fans know well, no character stays dead forever in the Marvel universe.

Well, except perhaps for the Human Torch (Chris Evans). That demise appeared to be rather permanent.