Deadpool 3 Will Be Rated R, Marvel Boss Says

One of the big questions for superhero fans after 2019's Disney/Fox deal was what will happen to the Marvel characters previously owned by Fox--and in particular Deadpool. While many fans would agree that the main X-Men series was in need of a reboot, the Deadpool films have been hugely successful, both critically and commercially. However, there were doubts whether the R-rated Deadpool movies will fit alongside the more family-friendly Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Last November, it was reported that Marvel was moving forward with Deadpool 3, with Bob's Burgers writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin working on the script. Now studio boss Kevin Feige has commented on both the movie's status and its potential rating.

Speaking to Collider, Feige stated that the film would indeed "be rated R" and part of the MCU. He also explained that while star Ryan Reynolds was currently overseeing the Deadpool 3 script, it wouldn't start shooting in 2021. "Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor," he said. "We've got a number of things we've already announced that we now have to make, but it's exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life."

Feige's comments follow those previously made by former Disney chief Bob Iger, who addressed the issue of mature comment within the family-friendly Disney brand: "We do believe there is room for the Fox properties to exist without significant Disney influence over the nature of the content, meaning that we see that there is certainly popularity amongst Marvel fans for the R-rated Deadpool films, for instance. We're going to continue in that business, and there might be room for more of that."

In related news, in December Disney announced that it was creating a new "mature content" section for Disney+. It will be titled Disney Star, and will launch in February in the US and will roll out in a variety of international markets throughout 2021.