Deadpool 3: Director Shawn Levy pledges to bring hardcore violence to the MCU sequel

Shawn Levy is facing a lot of pressure from Deadpool fans to keep the character on-model for his MCU debut. Marvel typically shies away from anything close to R-rated action. Still, Levy wants everyone to rest assured that Ryan Reynolds‘ motor-mouthed killer will remain as foul and ferocious as ever. Speaking with Collider‘s Steve Weintraub, Levy offered an update on Deadpool 3’s progress, saying it’s one of the best creative experiences of his life and that his elation has nothing to do with the film’s mature subject matter.

When asked to comment about the “adult-oriented” themes of Deadpool 3, Levy told Weintraub the project from Reynolds, and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, will feel familiar to fans of the character but also pushes the envelope in new and exciting ways.

“We are writing, rewriting, developing, prepping Deadpool every day now,” Levy said. “It is such a blast to laugh every day. It is so delicious to hear and write and come up with these scenes where people are just talking foul. And the violence is in your face and hardcore, and it’s very much a Deadpool movie. And it has Logan in it. And it has Wolverine in it. It’s too fun. I’m having so much fun, and I haven’t even hit the shooting floor yet. […] I have to say, developing a Deadpool movie is one of the most fun creative experiences of my life because it’s not just that it’s rated R. It’s that it’s so filled with self-awareness, and that makes in-writing very, very fun in a way that is unique to that franchise.”

After putting Deadpool fans at ease with his evaluation of the film’s progress, Levy commented on when production could commence on the highly-anticipated MCU movie. According to Weintraub’s sources, Deadpool 3 will begin shooting in May 2023. When asking Levy for confirmation, Levy replied, “On or about. Yep. The truth is the more digitally CG-heavy a movie is, the longer time you need in post. But obviously it’s the first Deadpool movie in the MCU. There’s going to be no lack of visual effects. But it’s also a North Star priority for Ryan and I to keep Deadpool raw, gritty, grounded in the ways that those movies have been and that all of us love.”

Are Levy and his team on the right track for Deadpool 3? They must feel intense pressure while trying to please audiences across a broad spectrum of Fox movie fans and MCU diehards. I wouldn’t want that job. Yikes! Let us know how excited you are for Deadpool 3 in the comments.