Movie News

DEADPOOL (2016): Fox Greenlights Film With Release Date

Deadpool

Fox sets early 2016 release date for Deadpool film. Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson, aka The Merc with a Mouth), arguably the most popular Marvel mutant since Wolverine ( or Cable – remember Cable?), will finally be getting the feature film spotlight that has been long anticipated.

The character was last featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds; but while most fans approved of Reynolds’ depiction of the character, the overall handling of the live-action debut was regarded as one of the biggest black marks left on the film. Specifically, fans were none too pleased about Wade Wilson’s supposed death, with the character of Deadpool then being consigned to a mute mutant mash-up (deridingly nick-named Barakapool, by critical fans).

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Well, Wilson got better.

Twentieth Century Fox, fresh off of its success with X-Men: Days of Future Past, has announced a release date of Februrary 12, 2016 for a Deadpool feature film. A fairly good sign that a Deadpool film will happen. Tim Millar is reportedly still on board to direct, with Ryan Reynolds expected – but not confirmed – to reprise the role. The sensation caused by the recent leaking of test footage – featuring Reynolds voicing the fully costumed character – has been credited with sealing the deal.

Ryan Reynolds on the leak’s influence:

“The movie has been in a state of limbo for a while. There was such an overpowering reaction to the footage, you sort of feel like, ‘Oh, so we weren’t crazy for our reasons for loving this character, for loving this role.’ It’s interesting to see the power of the Internet. It’s awe-inspiring, actually, and it’s neat that Twitter and Facebook and Instagram can move mountains when used in the right way.”

There may be some a little concerned that Reynolds may have already over-extended himself, in terms of comic book cred. The failure of Green Lantern, and the… thing that was RIPD, added to some push-back to his overall onscreen persona. Consider, however, that Deadpool is a much better fit, for that persona, the reaction to his test footage seeming to support that notion, and his role remaining (arguably) the best thing to have come out of Origins. The likely problem, I figure, would not be Reynolds, but redeeming Origins.

The easy out, to that end, would be as a consequence of X-Men: Days of Future Past. Personally, I don’t think even that drastic a reboot was ever necessary. I consoled myself over the fact that Wade Wilson’s supposed death, in Origins, was an off-screen mention, and that Deadpool’s regenerative powers surpasses that of Wolverine & Sabretooth. Basically, Stryker getting the sample he needed for his ‘Deadpool’ didn’t guarantee that Wilson stayed dead.

Bottom line: Fox had planned ahead for a post-Origins Deadpool film, but the reaction to Origins left them with cold feet about it. Fast forward to leaked test footage, internets s-ploding, yadda-yadda-yadda, 1-2-3 greenlight.

With other high profile projects, like Assassin’s Creed, and the Fantasic Four reboot being rescheduled, as a likely result, Fox’s commitment to the Deadpool project seems pretty firm.

Leave your thoughts on this Deadpool film update below in the comments section. For more Deadpool news, visit our Deadpool Page, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” on Facebook for quick news updates.

Sources: THR, NiagaraFallsReview

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Sam Joseph

Sam is an Avid consumer/observer of Geek culture, and collector of Fanboy media from earliest memory. Armchair sociologist and futurist. Honest critic with satirical if not absurdist­­ wit with some experience in comics/ animation production.
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