It’s been a couple of years since we first heard that Deadpool 3 will be the first MCU film to be R-rated, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has today reiterated that’s still the plan. The confirmation comes as part of an extensive interview between Feige and Entertainment Weekly, which also dives deep into the future of the cinematic universe.
On Deadpool 3, he said, “That’s our first R-rated film,” before adding that he’s excited for Hugh Jackman’s return as Logan/Wolverine. “To have Hugh come back is incredible,” he said. “For me, personally, that is where I started. I remember sitting behind the camera — well behind the camera — at his audition for [X-Men]. It was his first on-set audition, and he flew up to Toronto to do a read with Anna Paquin. For him, and for me, and I think for all of the fans of Marvel, it’s unbelievable what has happened in those 23 years. It’s very full-circle having him come back in this new Deadpool film.”
That tidbit came in the wake of a discussion about mutants in the MCU, with a coy response that there are now firm plans in place to introduce that element of the comic franchise. Feige provided no further details.
Maybe more interesting than that is that Feige is thinking big when it comes to the Fantastic Four. “Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics,” he said. He later added that “We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”
The full interview touches on the most of what’s coming across Phase 5 and Phase 6 of the MCU, so check it out if you want a preview.
Deadpool 3 will be the first Phase 6 film, releasing on November 8, 2024, followed by Fantastic Four on February 14, 2025.
