Deadpool 3 isn’t due to arrive until November 2024, almost six and a half years after the release of Deadpool 2. But it’s not as though the character has been deliberately left in limbo all those years, and it turns out we could have seen Deadpool get his own Christmas-themed movie.
Reynolds revealed this news during an interview with the Big Issue and apparently he co-wrote the script around 2018 with Rhett Reece and Paul Wernick — the same duo responsible for writing Deadpools 1 through 3. However, like so many things, the movie “got lost in the shuffle of Disney acquiring Fox and it never got made.”
The script was apparently a “full Deadpool Christmas movie," with Reynolds suggesting that it could have featured a song and dance number. However, it wasn't set to be a full-scale musical, and the actor didn't divulge any details on the movie's plot.
Reynolds expressed some hope that the trio would be able to make the movie one day, which could fit in fairly well with Disney’s current slate of MCU content.
We’ve already had a Marvel Halloween special in the form of Werewolf by Night, which has been lauded as one of the best Marvel projects for some time. Similarly the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to arrive on Disney Plus this Friday (November 25). As such, a Deadpool Christmas special isn’t totally out of the question.
So far, the closest we got to such a thing was Once Upon a Deadpool, a PG-13-rated cut of Deadpool 2. The movie was essentially a retelling of Deadpool 2, Princess Bride style, with Deadpool recounting the tale to Fred Savage — now an adult and being held against his will. Naturally this version of the movie came without a bunch of the original's gratuitous violence and swearing.
While I wasn’t a fan of Once Upon a Deadpool itself, those extra scenes were a great addition, and the idea of an original Deadpool Christmas movie sounds like a lot of fun.
Sadly, this situation isn’t the first time a Deadpool movie got canned thanks to Disney’s takeover of Fox. An X-Force spin-off, following a new version of the team Deadpool forms in the second movie, never materialized.
The original version of Deadpool 3 was also left in limbo, with development already starting when Fox was sold to Disney. Reynolds confirmed that the movie would have focussed on Deadpool and Wolverine (once again played by Hugh Jackman) going on a road trip together. Considering Jackman is confirmed to reprise his role in Deadpool 3, there’s a possibility this could still happen.
But since the movie is now going to be set in the MCU, things could be very different. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on that front.
In any case, I do hope that a Deadpool Christmas special does materialize in the near future. Whether it’s a full-scale theatrical release, or a one-off special made for Disney Plus, there’s always room for the Merc With a Mouth to grace some sort of screen. Especially if it means he gets to wear a red and white suit, instead of his usual red and black.
And, frankly, we need could use a few more holiday movies that aren’t the usual cliched sentimental affair. There's only so many times you can watch Die Hard, after all.
Next: These are the 9 best new Christmas movies for 2022.
