Deadpool & Wolverine director explains why it isn’t Deadpool 3

Deadpool & Wolverine is a whole new project in itself, says director Shawn Levy, and it shouldn’t really be thought of as Deadpool 3.

As the long-awaited follow-up to the second Deadpool adventure, it’s easy for fans to think of the upcoming Marvel movie as Deadpool 3. But director Shawn Levy has explained that, really, it’s not Deadpool 3 at all.

In the words of the director himself, it’s very much a self-contained project. As we all know, this time, it’ll focus on the team-up between the Merc with a Mouth and Wolverine. But this is a key element in understanding why Deadpool & Wolverine is so different.

“As far as crafting the Deadpool and Wolverine story, I just felt privileged every day because you’re talking about two massive movie stars in their most iconic roles,” Levy said at CinemaCon [via ScreenRant].

“It also gave me an opportunity. It’s the third Deadpool movie, but it’s not Deadpool 3. It’s a different thing that’s very much Deadpool and Wolverine. And it’s not trying to copycat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-hander character adventure.”

Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson) has always been an outlier, even in his own films. Traditionally, he’s rejected by other, more famous superheroes such as the X-Men. However, in the new superhero movie, he finally gets screen time with Hugh Jackman’s iteration of Wolverine.

So much so, that the two antiheroes share the title. Deadpool & Wolverine will see Wilson become entangled with pre-existing Marvel properties as he enters the MCU. All this with a little help from the TVA.

While Jackman’s Wolverine was merely teased in the trailer, he’ll form a large part of this story, a key component in making it stand out among the previous Deadpool movies.

For more, check out our Deadpool & Wolverine trailer breakdown. You can also find out more about the movie’s villain, Cassandra Nova.