Ryan Reynolds made his debut as Deadpool in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but it wasn’t until 2006 that he got his leading role in a movie of his own. After reprising his role in the 2018 sequel, Reynolds had a major condition to return to Deadpool 3.

Speaking to SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy explained that Ryan Reynolds would only do the film if he directed it. The third film featuring Deadpool isn’t meant to be considered Deadpool 3, the director previously explained. The change ensued after Hugh Jackman agreed to make his return to his fan-favorite role, Wolverine, and the superhero film underwent many changes and turned Jackman’s Wolverine into a titular character next to Reynolds’ Deadpool.

Levy previously worked with Reynolds several times, most recently on 2021’s Free Guy and 2022’s The Adam Project. Because of their relationship, Reynolds had a lot of faith in his skills. “So I’m shooting The Adam Project with Ryan up in Vancouver,” Shawn Levy explained. “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.”

I know you’re going to say no, but I’ll only do Deadpool again if you direct it.

The director revealed that he was already a big fan of the MCU, and loved the opportunity to direct one of its films. “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.”

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool and Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine Will Include Many Cameos

Deadpool & Wolverine marks the first film Deadpool is part of the MCU, and it’s also the only film Marvel Studios has on its slate for 2024. Aside from a viral marketing campaign aided by the chemistry of its two leads, Deadpool & Wolverine is set to become one of the biggest films of the year. As if bringing Reynolds and Jackman together wasn’t enough, the film will be filled with cameos.

The cameos have become a conversation in itself, with rumors including stars like Halle Berry’s Storm, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and more X-Men characters, but also Taylor Swift as Dazzler or Blake Lively as Lady Deadpool. Levy refused to confirm any names. “The internet is a delight of rumors about the multitude of character cameos that are in this movie. Some rumors are true, some are way off base,” he said. He did, however, confirm there are “a lot” of characters in the film.

So far, there has been no official confirmation as to the above speculation, but the audience will know for sure when Deadpool & Wolverine premieres on July 26.