Thomas Roach on why a Deadpool movie is doomed to fail…
With the recent release of the Deadpool test footage many fans are excited at the prospect that we may finally get a Deadpool movie. Since the character first appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine people wanted to see the Merc with the Mouth get his own solo movie. His first appearance was somewhat disappointing, but the test footage shows us a character that many want to see. However, in making a Deadpool movie, there are going to be several issues that may lead to the film failing.
The character of Deadpool is very violent in the comic books and in order to make a film successful financially then it will need to have a certificate to allow the majority of audiences to see it. In the USA that will be a PG-13 rating (confirmed by Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld). Deadpool due to his healing factor gets into all sorts of violent confrontations where he butchers people, takes pleasure in killing and sometimes even gets decapitated. That would not be suitable for most moviegoing audiences. Even in the test footage we saw Deadpool cut off someones head and use it as a puppet. Seeing the levels of violence pleased fans, but we have to remember that if a film does get the go ahead then the level of violence will be toned down greatly, thus disappointing hardcore fans.
Another issue is that Deadpool belongs to Fox and in order to build a bigger brand the studio will want him interacting with characters from the X-Men franchise. The character of Wade Wilson first appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but now would not seem a good fit for the universe. X-Men: Days of Future Past appeared to take the X-Men franchise into a new direction and it appears to be tackling serious issues. The latest X-Men films have dealt with civil rights issues and the Vietnam War, and Deadpool showing up making jokes alongside these characters may degrade the standard of the film. Even if Deadpool is linked to these characters in any way it could damage the franchise.
This moves onto the issue of the fourth wall. Deadpool is known for breaking the fourth wall in his comic books. This is done in a very extreme way which is a parody rather than a tool to advance the plot. Deadpool is aware that he is a character in a comic book and in a film he would comment to the audience about the actors in the film, the budget of the film, and enjoy watching explosions with the audience. This once again doesn’t fit into the X-Men universe or what has been established. From what we saw in X-Men: First Class as well as X-Men: Days of Future Past, having a character break the fourth wall for comedic affect would degrade the franchise. This could be fixed by having the Deadpool movie non-cannon and not appearing in the overall series but then fans would be disappointing that Deadpool doesn’t get to interact with the other great characters from the comic books. Breaking the fourth wall can work and if you have watched House of Cards it is a brilliant plot device but should not be used for parody.
Another criticism is that actor Ryan Reynolds is not the right person for the job. This seems like a very split decision amongst fans with some saying he is perfect whilst others would like another actor to have a shot at the role. Ryan Reynolds did the voice and the motion capture for the test footage that was shot and that went down really well. The fact that Reynolds is not deemed a fantastic actor and really just a pretty boy counts against him. Add to that the fact that he also went on to play Green Lantern in a DC movie that received a lot of criticism. The way DC and Marvel fans go at each other made some people feel that Ryan Reynolds had abandoned the project. It’s been five years since Deadpool first appeared so maybe it has not been green lit because the actor is not suitable.
Finally this will be the most controversial point but Deadpool is a niche. He really is not as popular as people think he is. Yes he has a cult following and loyal fans but clearly they are not enough to get a standalone film made. If there was a market for a Deadpool movie don’t you think it would have been made by now? The character has a loyal fan base but is not that accessible for non fans. That is why other lesser known characters have succeeded, because the film versions have made them likable. Deadpool did not do this in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and likely wouldn’t be able to if he got a standalone film either.
Either the film can do well by compromising the source material or it can be loyal and isolate most of the movie going market. It is a tough decision for Fox to make but I would not expect a Deadpool movie any time soon.
Thomas Roach
Originally published August 4, 2014. Updated January 18, 2020.
