Deadpool co-creator blames Marvel Studios for Deadpool 3 delay

May 12th 2020, 11:07am

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Ever since the Fox/Disney merger, there has been very little movement on another installment of DEADPOOL. The "merc with a mouth" was under the 20th Century Fox banner for two very successful films but after the merger, the rights for Deadpool went over to Disney and Marvel, along with the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Other than Ryan Reynolds saying there are "infinite possibilities" for Deadpool at Disney and Marvel, it doesn't seem like DEADPOOL 3 is part of Marvel's next plan. Rob Liefeld, who co-created the character for Marvel Comics, has his own opinion as to why there has been no movement on the third film and he's placing the blame squarely on Marvel Studios.

During a recent interview with "ComicBook.com", Rob Liefeld addressed DEADPOOL 3 and he wasn't exactly optimistic on the matter:

"I blame Marvel…blame Marvel that that hasn't happened yet. They are the reason it isn't happening. Whatever conundrum or it didn't fit into your master plan, just commission it. Okay, commission it. You know if Frank Frazetta was still around, you would say, 'Frank paint for me."

Part of the worry for fans is the R-rated character fitting in the Disney mold. It has been stated that they don't intend to change his R-rated sensibilities for future solo movies but he could be muted if he pops up in the greater ensemble of the MCU. How does Deadpool exactly fit into the greater masterplan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward? Liefeld touches on this a bit but he still doesn't seem to think we'll know of anything anytime soon:

"If Ryan isn't making Deadpool 3 right now, that's because Marvel hasn't allowed it to be yet and that's all I'm saying. So, do I have a lot of faith in that system? Dude, I have no idea. So this is where I'm not that, I'm not giving you the answers you want. I'm like yeah, yeah. Look if it happens, terrific… How old am I gonna be when that happens? And literally I used to be like, yeah, Mark Ruffalo, Hulk and Deadpool would make for a funny movie right? But, none of these guys are getting younger, right okay?"

The Marvel schedule is already pretty full and unless they plan on surprising us, it could be a while before we get another DEADPOOL installment. Phase 4 runs into 2022 and some of the well-oiled schedules were affected by the coronavirus pandemic which pushed projects down the release calendar. BLACK WIDOW kicks off Phase 4 in November, with THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER closing it out in February 2022. The earliest Phase 5 date Marvel Studios has available is in October 2022 which means we're at least 2 years out before we see a potential Deadpool appearance. From there it has to be determined do we get DEADPOOL 3 first or will he appear in an ensemble entry of the MCU first? Only time will tell and for now, we can only speculate what's next for the foul-mouthed fan favorite.

What do YOU think should happen with Deadpool next? Should DEADPOOL 3 be a priority or should he be re-introduced in an ensemble MCU film?