Ryan Reynolds Hypes A Huge Deadpool & Wolverine Fight - But It's Not His Movie
The trailer for "Deadpool 3" broke records, amassing more than 365 million views in its first 24 hours of being released. It's easy to see why, as audiences are excited for the Merc with the Mouth to finally join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This, along with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) co-starring in the film, has made it one of the most anticipated superhero releases ever. With the trailer still getting considerable buzz, star Ryan Reynolds has offered a public shout-out to a new Deadpool and Wolverine comic, hyping up a fight between the uber-violent characters that isn't even happening in the movie.
A few days after the first official look at "Deadpool 3," Reynolds shared cover art for the upcoming "Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII" miniseries coming later this year from Marvel Comics. The three-issue comic sees Wolverine and Deadpool getting caught up in the machinations of a mysterious new character named Delta. Tagging writer Joe Kelly and artist Adam Kubert in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Reynolds posted Kubert and Frank Martin's cover featuring for the comic's first issue, writing, "This ⬇️ by @thatJoeKelly and @AdamKubert 🤯." Kelly responded to the actor, writing, "🙏 Hope you dig it and/or are shocked by the depths of our gleeful depravity. 😈" Meanwhile, Kubert expressed his gratitude for the comment, adding, "Thanks for the shout out Ryan! I can't wait for this movie |/👹|/"
Despite Reynolds having no direct involvement with the comic, it's awesome to see such a big-name celebrity shouting out the comics that have inspired his adventures in live-action. More than that, though, Reynolds' support is actually super important.
Hollywood stars shouting out comics is tremendously important
Ryan Reynolds hyping the upcoming Deadpool comic is not only good for brand synergy but also a welcome sight coming from a major player in an industry that often shies away from properly crediting its source material and creators. Time and time again, writers and artists who have created, inspired, or are directly responsible for the stories superhero films are based on are largely ignored and not fairly compensated for billion-dollar franchises that wouldn't exist without their work.
Marvel Studios has notoriously made significant mistakes when it comes to crediting comic pros, such as legendary "New Mutants" co-creator Bob McLeod's name being spelled wrong in the credits of "New Mutants." Even worse, the studio has regularly low-balled creators, offering a reported flat rate of $5,000 for using comic book plot points and characters in movies. It's why Thanos creator Jim Starlin revealed Warner Bros. paid him significantly more for using Anatoli Knyazev, aka KGBeast, a barely seen villain who doesn't even appear in costume in "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," than Marvel shelled out for Thanos, the MCU's biggest villain. Starlin has also publicly commended DC Comics for properly crediting writers and artists, saying he "Wish[es] the Marvel movies would do the same."
But we may be on the cusp of a shift regarding proper credit being given and celebrating the movies' source material. James Gunn, the new head of the DCU, consistently props up comic books while also including comic writers in his films' creative process, the most recent being "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" scribe Tom King. Despite crediting creatives seeming like the bare minimum a significant studio could do, many haven't put much, if any, consideration into doing so.
Reynolds tweet hopefully encourages more to speak up
While there's still considerable work to do in making sure comic creators are appropriately credited and compensated for their work when it's adapted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ryan Reynolds appears to be an ally to the comic book world and a positive force in changing the unfortunate current status quo. Promoting "Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII," even though he's not directly involved with the project, shows MCU fans that it's worth checking out the comics and stories starring the characters they love on the big screen. In a perfect world, audiences will see the film and want to pick up comics afterward, and with someone as influential as Reynolds hyping them up, it just might happen. Hopefully, more actors, directors, and decision-makers will follow Reynolds and James Gunn's lead. After all, without the comics, the MCU and DC Universe wouldn't exist.
Check out the text preview of "Deadpool & Wolverine: WWW III" #1, teasing the titular heroes' upcoming adventures and fights. The issue arrives in comic book stores on May 1, 2024.
They're the most intensely mismatched team-up in comics and pop culture — reunited for an all-new edge of your seat adventure! Yes, Wade Wilson and Logan are at the ends of the Earth — and at each other's throats! The mysterious Delta believes in change. Change is good. But as he sets his sights on Deadpool, and Wolverine finds himself caught up in the plot, is the third time really the charm...or the curse? Get ready for WWIII to erupt on the scene with the wildest pairing in comics!