A Free Guy Reaction Video Just Brought This Character Into The MCU For The First Time
20 years ago, nobody would have guessed that the floundering Marvel Comics brand would soon become the biggest film franchise in history. 10 years ago, it would have seemed ridiculous to imagine that Ryan Reynolds would break box office records by returning to the role of Deadpool while totally ignoring his troubled first lap around the character in 2008's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Five years ago, imagining that Wade Wilson could make it into the MCU was a pipe dream. But thanks to a strange confluence of theatrical release delays, studio mergers, and Hollywood bro-downs, the Merc with the Mouth has just made his first baby-legged steps towards joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How? With a little help from his old pal Cross-Promotional Synergy.
As Ryan Reynolds stans are already aware, the erstwhile Van Wilder has a new movie on the horizon, "Free Guy," in which he plays a video game character that's granted self awareness. His sentience rubs the game's publisher, Antoine — played by fellow "Green Lantern" alum Taika Waititi — very much the wrong way. Hilarious violence ensues.
Possibly owing to the fact that "Free Guy's" release date was pushed back a year, the promotional team had some extra time to put together something special, and they didn't disappoint. In a new reaction video to the film's trailer, Reynolds' Deadpool teams up with Waititi's MCU character, Korg, to give some initial thoughts on the upcoming picture.
Deadpool just joined the MCU in the most meta way imaginable
The video, posted to Ryan Reynolds' YouTube page and titled "Deadpool's Maximum Reactions," sees Wade responding to an overwhelming demand for more reaction videos after the one that he shot for "Cruella" — no, it doesn't exist, but try not to focus on that too much.
"We also have a guest reactor this week," Deadpool explains. "Korg, who was not my first choice," he continues, before gesturing to the giant rock monster sitting on the opposite side of the couch. "Thank you for having me, Paul," says Korg. "Sorry you're dead."
Putting aside the fact that it's a rad, creative piece of promotion for "Free Guy" — coming exclusively to theaters August 13 — the video also represents the first time that Deadpool has interacted on screen with a member of the MCU stable of characters. In short, the whole thing bodes especially well for anyone looking forward to Wade Wilson's Marvel movie debut in "Deadpool 3," currently slated for release at some point in the vaguely defined future. Still no word on his Disney+ streaming series, though.