The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown increasingly large over the last 15 years, with countless storylines and characters weaving in and out of the franchise. To the casual Marvel fan, this might be a little overwhelming, but Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy doesn’t think that will be a problem with his movie.
In addition to drawing upon 15 years of MCU history, it’s expected that Deadpool and Wolverine will also touch upon 20th Century Fox’s Marvel movies. Levy told the Associated Press that he didn’t want fans to have to do any homework going in.
“I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,” Levy said. “I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.“
Just from the trailers, it’s apparent that Deadpool and Wolverine includes many elements from other MCU projects, including the Time Variance Authority from Loki, but hopefully Levy is correct and the movie is just a good story even without all the MCU trappings. “Audiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,” Levy said. “They want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether it’s ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ or any number of other recent movies, they show up. The movie is built for audience delight. I think that (they’re) in for a very fun ride.“
Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus, and Rob Delaney as Peter. Deadpool 3 will also star Emma Corrin, who is expected to play the villain, and Matthew Macfadyen as a TVA agent. Of course, the biggest addition to the Deadpool 3 cast is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who finally broke down after being pestered by Ryan Reynolds for so many years. The film is also expected to feature cameos from characters throughout the history of 20th Century Fox’s Marvel movies, with a few already being revealed in the trailer, including Aaron Stanford as Pyro.
Deadpool & Wolverine will hit theaters on July 26th, making it the only MCU movie to be released this year.