‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Behind The Scenes

As we get closer to the release of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” we’re learning more about the genesis of the film. That is to say, we’re learning how it was far from a guarantee that we’d see Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth show up in the MCU. The actor has openly talked about the various ideas he had for the film, but we have now learned that he only wanted to do the threequel if Shawn Levy was behind the camera.

Speaking to SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Shawn Levy talked about how he was approached to direct “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It definitely sounds as if it was a quick search on the part of Marvel Studios, considering the star of the film only had one name on his list.

“So I’m shooting ‘The Adam Project’ with Ryan up in Vancouver,” said Levy. “And he says, ‘Okay, I know you’re going to say no, but I’ll only do “Deadpool” again if you direct it.’ I told him I’d love to direct that movie, because the truth is, if you work in the big-canvas filmmaking space, as I have since those ‘Night at the Museum’ movies, it’s a dream to be able to tell a story on that kind of epic and anthemic canvas.”

In addition to his love of working on big budget blockbusters, Levy was also interested in working with Marvel Studios within the MCU.

He added, “I’ve always been a fan of Marvel movies, and I was already a fan of Deadpool and a huge fan of Wolverine, so the opportunity to join the ‘Deadpool’ franchise but to do something notably different was compelling.”

When it was announced that Shawn Levy was going to direct “Deadpool & Wolverine,” it felt a bit like a no-brainer. The filmmaker has a long history with Ryan Reynolds, and clearly the actor loves working with him. In addition to the aforementioned “The Adam Project,” the duo worked together on “Free Guy.” Not only that, Levy also previously worked with Hugh Jackman on the film “Real Steel.” So, in a weird way, Levy was really the best choice for this film.

Now, we’ll still have to wait a bit to see if Levy is a good superhero director, as “Deadpool & Wolverine” is expected to arrive in theaters on July 26.