As dismayed as Marvel Cinematic Universe and Ryan Reynolds fans were to discover that the writers’ strike had effectively banned the actor from improvising on the set of Deadpool 3, it may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
After all, not only was the franchise’s first R-rated installment the only one of the upcoming slate to not be hit with a sizeable delay, it ended up getting moved forward to the summer. Not only that, but a report from Deadline covering the ins and outs of the WGA’s picketing has revealed that shooting on Deadpool 3 is “nearly completed.”
Of course, as creator Rob Liefeld recently pointed out, the improv might come later in ADR when Reynolds gets to drop some new one-liners into the mix when he’s re-recording his masked scenes, as disingenuous as that feels. What makes it even more ironic is that silencing the Merc with a Mouth and taking away his silver tongue was one of the main factors behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine crashing and burning at the box office, a serendipitous twist you couldn’t make up.
As harsh as it sounds to call a situation as serious as the writers’ strike a major boon to a mega budget superhero sequel, it doesn’t seem to have affected Deadpool 3 much if at all, with director Shawn Levy racing through principal photography while somehow managing to keep set photos almost completely under wraps.
It’s an interesting scenario, although there’s a chance we may not find out just how extensive the re-dubbed dialogue becomes until after the dust has settled and Deadpool 3 is substantially closer to release.