Why Deadpool Will Be Completely Amazing

With the debut of a brand new, NSFW trailer, Deadpool is looking all kinds of awesome. Sure, it's easy to focus on the previous sins of 20th Century Fox with its treatment of the character (just watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine for that horror-show), but it looks like the new big screen take on Deadpool will be a winner. Here's why.

The Deadpool we know and love from the comics has a reputation for a few things, but "a ridiculous capacity for violence" is at the top of the list. While big budget blockbusters based on comic books are generally released in order to vacuum up ticket sales from anyone and everyone who can occupy a seat, it's nice to know that Deadpool doesn't have that goal as a priority. It's why so many of today's action and horror movies are rated PG-13: the good stuff, like violence, cursing, and general mayhem, are all toned down in order to give junior high schoolers the opportunity to pay for the same blandness as everyone else. The fact that Deadpool has earned an R-rating by design shows the filmmakers' commitment to bringing the true Merc with a Mouth to the movies.

Maybe in this case, the fifth time's the charm. That's right, this'll be Ryan Reynolds' fifth attempt to play a character adapted from the comics. But while each of his four previous outings were disasters in one way or another, his first turn as Wade Wilson in the aforementioned X-Men Origins: Wolverine was actually one of that POS's few high points. And Reynolds' greatest asset is his complete command over sarcasm and insincerity, which truly makes him the perfect actor to portray Deadpool. We've already gotten a glimpse of Reynolds' ability to ham it up as Deadpool, both in costume and out. His utter commitment to snarkiness and his willingness to break the reality of the film all in the name of landing a joke feel note-perfect to the character's portrayal in the comics. We couldn't ask for a better actor to be cast as Deadpool. This might finally be the role that brings Reynolds the box office success he's kept trying to achieve.

If Ryan Reynolds was made to play Deadpool, then Silicon Valley's T.J. Miller was likewise born to play Weasel, Wade's sidekick and weapons dealer. Miller's capable of demonstrating just the right balance of smart and smartass, of badass and asinine, that it's likely he'll steal the spotlight from Deadpool entirely. From what little we've seen of their on-screen chemistry in the trailer, it seems pretty likely that Reynolds and Miller really have a good time riffing off of each other. That's good news for audiences who'll like a healthy helping of humor with their violence.

It's pretty hard to explain just what kind of role Weasel plays in Deadpool's life. It's even harder to explain Blind Al, who's a cross between his housekeeper, roommate, and prisoner. Blind Al—who is actually blind, it's not just a clever nickname—will be portrayed by an actress named Leslie Uggams, a veteran of film, TV, and the stage, so we have no doubt that she'll be an important character in the film. What's surprising—and encouraging—is that Blind Al is a character that reflects extremely poorly on Deadpool. She's an old blind woman that Wade keeps captive for mysterious reasons. If you're trying to make audiences identify with and like your hideous protagonist, showing the old disabled lady he keeps captive isn't a great way to do it. It's a bold move, and one we hope pays off with a truly unique on-screen dynamic.

It's hard not to have superhero fatigue at this point. Every year sees the release of at least three or four movies based on comics, all of which follow roughly the same outline. Deadpool looks like it's embracing its weirdness in a big way. From winking at the camera to cartoonish-yet-gruesome violence, to even adding potentially disturbing aspects to what could've been a tentpole franchise character, the producers if Deadpool are truly going for it.

It could've been so easy to play it safe and avoid what makes the character so unique. Sure, it would've alienated fans, but that never stopped major movie studios before. With Deadpool, 20th Century Fox seems to be trying to redeem its earlier treatment of the character. And that means that when the movie hits theaters in February of 2016, it might be one of the weirdest—and most wonderful—comic book movies yet.

The trailer's already shown that Deadpool truly lives up to his nickname, "the Merc with the Mouth." It doesn't hurt that the movie seems to gleefully combine dumb jokes with violence of truly insane proportions, exemplified by the three-in-one-shot kill with a handgun. More than anything, this is what it means to be Deadpool. It's also important to note that the movie was finally greenlit when director Tim Miller's CGI test footage was leaked to the web—and the fan reaction was so strong, 20th Century Fox could no longer deny the world's hunger for chimichangas.

It's a good time to be a Deadpool fan.