Fantastic Four, but not yet of the X-Men.
There was, of course, particular interest in the Deadpool franchise - one of Fox's success stories. Back in November, there were reports Marvel was pushing ahead with Deadpool 3, with Ryan Reynolds reprising the starring role and Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin writing the script. The last few months have seen heated debate over just how this would work, and whether Deadpool 3 would be R-rated like its predecessors - or sanitized with a PG-13 rating. In a recent interview, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed this will be both an R-rated movie and part of the MCU.
This is a surprising, but delightful, development for Marvel Studios; a decision that may have been taken because the superhero genre is changing shape. The last few years have proved general audiences are eager to move beyond the traditional PG-13 tentpole approach to superhero stories. Big-screen success have included the likes of Logan and Deadpool, with Todd Phillips' Joker becoming the most profitable comic book adaptation of all time. The same pattern can be seen on the small screen as well, with Netflix and Amazon Prime releasing shows like The Umbrella Academy and The Boys. Kevin Feige has surely recognized this change in popular culture, and Marvel is, therefore, choosing to incorporate at least one R-rated movie into its shared universe as a result.
It's safe to assume R-rated Marvel films will remain the exception rather than the norm, but they will surely happen again - and, in fact, Deadpool 3 may not even be the first of them. It's possible some films already confirmed to be in the works - say, perhaps possibly five movies due out each year; an increased diversity would avoid the risk of oversaturating the market.
When the MCU began, Marvel Studios earned a justified reputation for taking risks; of late, though, they have settled for playing it safe. Their films follow a loose "formula," with a "House Style" that Marvel know will be successful but do not deviate from. It protects them from ever making a dud like Fantastic Four, but it has also imposed a limit upon the MCU, because they were never going to make anything bold and experimental that redefines the genre as a whole, like Logan or Joker. Now, though, Deadpool 3 opens up the possibility the MCU will grow and expand into something very different - a shared universe that incorporates a range of different movies, of different styles, including some that are a lot more exciting.
