Summary
Deadpool 3is unique for many reasons, including its use of real locations, as director Shawn Levy has revealed that he is swapping out green screen techniques used in most Marvel Studios projects to allow for a more grounded feel and look to the upcoming threequel.
Levy, best known for his work onStranger ThingsandThe Adam Project,is the third director to helm a live-actionDeadpoolfilm, as he follows in the footsteps of Tim Miller and David Leitch. Levy penned the script with Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Ryan Reynolds. The highly anticipated project will feature a team-up betweenReynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. It will also see the return of several characters from previousDeadpoolfilms and possibly Fox’sX-Menuniverse. The MCU was given control of the titular character following 20th Century Fox’s acquisition by Disney in 2019. Filming began in May but was put on hold in July due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
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Sitting down withTotal Film Magazine, Levy shared that, despite the added challenges, he is committed to shootingDeadpool 3on real locations rather than green screens. “I made a decision very early in prep that even though Deadpool is now in the MCU, I didn’t want another Marvel movie shot on a green screen stage with digital set extensions,” the director said. Marvel Studios and many other production companies have opted for CGI over practical effects and real sets. This could be because of its cost-effectiveness or the challenges of filming certain scenes without it. However, it comes at a cost, one being that it can easily take the viewer out of a story and become too distracting if done wrong — takeThor: Love and ThunderorThe Flash, for example. But if done right and seamlessly, which is rarer in today’s age, there’s no doubt it enhances the film and creates a sense of believability.
Another challenge of filmingDeadpool 3outdoors or on real sets instead of indoor digital ones is the higher risk of leaked set photos or videos, as Levy referred to theDeadpool and Wolverine photos that have surfacedon social media. “It bums me out that photos have leaked online,” he said. “But this is the price we pay for committing to real locations.”
In addition to abandoning the heavy use of green screens, Levy noted the pressures of pairing two beloved characters. “Deadpool and Wolverine are iconic Marvel characters. More specifically, iconic Marvel-of-the-Fox-era characters,” he said. “We’re not going to pretend: ‘Oh, we snap our fingers, and suddenly that Fox legacy doesn’t exist, and it shaped a lot of what we now know as the MCU.’ Fox also shaped Ryan’s career, Hugh’s career, and my career. So there’s a lot of history there, and there’s a lot of Marvel history at Fox. And certainly, that’s a part of our storytelling.”
In addition to Reynolds and Jackman, theDeadpool 3cast also includes Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapicic as Colossus, Rob Delaney as Peter, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio. Emma Corrin is joining the cast in an undisclosed villain lead role. It is also rumored that Jackman will bejoined by other formerX-Menstars Dafne Keen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, and Liev Schreiber, who would reprise their roles as X-23, Storm, Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Sabertooth, respectively.
Deadpool 3is scheduled to arrive in theatres on July 05, 2025.
